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High school teacher salary
Average high school teacher salary
$52,441
Understanding High School Teacher Salaries
As of October 2025, the average annual salary for a high school teacher is $52,441, or approximately $25 per hour. This figure reflects a range of salaries influenced by factors including state, years of experience, and educational qualifications.
Salary Variations by State
High school teachers in different states can expect varying salaries. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher compensation compared to others. Researching specific state salaries can provide insight into where opportunities may be more lucrative.
Impact of Experience
Experience significantly affects salary levels. New teachers may start at lower salaries, whereas those with several years in the classroom can command higher wages. Additionally, teachers taking on leadership roles or specializations can further increase their earning potential.
Opportunities for Advancement
For those seeking to advance their careers, pursuing further education, such as a master’s degree, or obtaining certifications can lead to higher-paying positions. Continuing professional development is key in enhancing both skills and salary prospects in this field.
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Where can a High School Teacher earn more?
High school teacher salary estimates from across the web
Average high school teacher salary by state
The highest-paying states for high school teachers are New York, Maryland, and Rhode Island. The lowest average high school teacher salary states are Louisiana, Arizona, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for high school teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $75,197 | $36.15 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $67,935 | $32.66 |
| 3 | Delaware | $65,358 | $31.42 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $70,290 | $33.79 |
| 5 | New York | $75,944 | $36.51 |
| 6 | Alaska | $65,061 | $31.28 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $72,720 | $34.96 |
| 8 | Vermont | $68,986 | $33.17 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $58,134 | $27.95 |
| 10 | Illinois | $56,282 | $27.06 |
| 11 | Washington | $62,212 | $29.91 |
| 12 | Maine | $54,696 | $26.30 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $57,182 | $27.49 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $61,871 | $29.75 |
| 15 | Nevada | $51,586 | $24.80 |
| 16 | Oregon | $56,548 | $27.19 |
| 17 | Michigan | $51,175 | $24.60 |
| 18 | California | $57,736 | $27.76 |
| 19 | Virginia | $55,782 | $26.82 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $56,935 | $27.37 |
| 21 | Ohio | $52,686 | $25.33 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $52,195 | $25.09 |
| 23 | Idaho | $48,326 | $23.23 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $51,190 | $24.61 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $52,009 | $25.00 |
| 26 | Georgia | $49,651 | $23.87 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $56,385 | $27.11 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $48,191 | $23.17 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $46,972 | $22.58 |
| 30 | Iowa | $44,960 | $21.62 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $48,724 | $23.43 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $46,740 | $22.47 |
| 33 | Florida | $46,318 | $22.27 |
| 34 | Texas | $46,751 | $22.48 |
| 35 | Kansas | $43,016 | $20.68 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $45,826 | $22.03 |
| 37 | Alabama | $43,899 | $21.11 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $43,013 | $20.68 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $43,941 | $21.13 |
| 40 | Colorado | $41,982 | $20.18 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $40,784 | $19.61 |
| 42 | Arizona | $39,896 | $19.18 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $40,631 | $19.53 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $40,398 | $19.42 |
| 45 | Indiana | $41,515 | $19.96 |
| 46 | Utah | $42,139 | $20.26 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $41,953 | $20.17 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $38,380 | $18.45 |
| 49 | Montana | $38,524 | $18.52 |
| 50 | Missouri | $38,559 | $18.54 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $34,928 | $16.79 |
Highest paying cities for high school teachers
The highest-paying cities for high school teachers are New York, NY, Baltimore, MD, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $76,313 | $36.69 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | $75,516 | $36.31 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $70,201 | $33.75 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa, CA | $65,100 | $31.30 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $61,921 | $29.77 |
| 6 | Corvallis, OR | $57,168 | $27.48 |
| 7 | Camden, NJ | $56,924 | $27.37 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $56,616 | $27.22 |
| 9 | Suffolk, VA | $55,231 | $26.55 |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | $52,358 | $25.17 |
| 11 | Detroit, MI | $51,536 | $24.78 |
| 12 | Savannah, GA | $49,968 | $24.02 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $48,708 | $23.42 |
| 14 | Houston, TX | $46,920 | $22.56 |
| 15 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $46,535 | $22.37 |
| 16 | Columbia, SC | $45,978 | $22.10 |
| 17 | Memphis, TN | $42,459 | $20.41 |
| 18 | Clearfield, UT | $42,103 | $20.24 |
| 19 | Denver, CO | $41,993 | $20.19 |
| 20 | Santa Fe, NM | $41,664 | $20.03 |
High school teacher salary details
A high school teacher's salary ranges from $37,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $72,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a high school teacher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $52,441 | $4,370 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
Highest paying high school teacher jobs
The highest paying types of high school teachers are science teacher, student teacher, and reading teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher/Tutor | $42,955 | $3,580 | $20.65 | 68,441 |
| Language Teacher | $51,413 | $4,284 | $24.72 | 74,479 |
| Student Teacher | $59,035 | $4,920 | $28.38 | 79,071 |
| Teacher | $47,989 | $3,999 | $23.07 | 71,918 |
| Early Childhood Teacher | $33,205 | $2,767 | $15.96 | 56,821 |
| Math Teacher | $51,088 | $4,257 | $24.56 | 59,347 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for high school teachers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Maggie Beeber
Undergraduate Advising Coordinator & Teacher Certification Officer, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Which companies pay high school teachers the most?
High school teacher salaries at Boston Public Schools and Baltimore City Public Schools are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average high school teacher salary at companies like California State University and Castilleja School are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Public Schools | $101,038 | $48.58 |
| 2 | Baltimore City Public Schools | $77,505 | $37.26 |
| 3 | California State University | $73,948 | $35.55 |
| 4 | Castilleja School | $73,015 | $35.10 |
| 5 | Lycée Français de San Francisco | $72,441 | $34.83 |
| 6 | Visalia Unified School District | $71,903 | $34.57 |
| 7 | Herricks Public Schools | $70,251 | $33.77 |
| 8 | West Contra Costa Unified School District | $68,368 | $32.87 |
| 9 | COMPTON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT | $68,196 | $32.79 |
| 10 | Prince George's County Memorial Library System | $66,194 | $31.82 |
| 11 | Piedmont Unified School District | $65,755 | $31.61 |
| 12 | Pasadena Unified School District | $65,687 | $31.58 |
| 13 | iHeartMedia | $65,139 | $31.32 |
| 14 | Inner City Education Foundation | $64,792 | $31.15 |
| 15 | Alhambra Unified School District | $64,549 | $31.03 |
| 16 | Success Academy Charter Schools | $64,475 | $31.00 |
| 17 | San Jacinto Unified School District | $64,336 | $30.93 |
| 18 | IDEA Public Schools | $63,656 | $30.60 |
| 19 | Hemet Unified School District | $63,652 | $30.60 |
| 20 | Shelby County Board Of Education | $63,390 | $30.48 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
High school teacher salary trends
The average high school teacher salary has risen by $7,173 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average high school teacher earned $45,268 annually, but today, they earn $52,441 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for high school teachers over the last decade.
Compare high school teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average high school teacher salary over time
Compare high school teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
High school teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,400 | $25.21 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $51,400 | $24.73 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $50,300 | $24.19 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $49,400 | $23.73 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $48,400 | $23.27 | +1.4% |
Recently added high school teacher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Chicago | Laboratory Schools: Math Teacher, High School, One-Year Only | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $72,433 |
| Strideinc | High School CTE Engineering Teacher | Maumee, OH | 06/30/2025 | $42,000 |
| Freedom Preparatory Academy | High School Physics Teacher) | Memphis, TN | 06/29/2025 | $50,000 |
| Get It Recruit-Educational Services | High School Sped Tutor-Remote | WFH | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| Get It Recruit-Educational Services | Online High School Software Development Teacher-Remote | WFH | West Palm Beach, FL | 06/29/2025 | $46,000 |
| Oregon Public Schools | High School Success Teacher-High School | Jefferson, OR | 06/28/2025 | $45,472 |
| Sheldon ISD | Teacher, High School-Chemistry | Nome, TX | 06/28/2025 | $65,000 |
| Uncommon New York City Charter Schools | High School Apprentice Teacher | New York, NY | 06/28/2025 | $60,000 |
| Edgewood ISD | High School Teacher-Physical Education 2025 | Nome, TX | 06/28/2025 | $58,500 |
| Jefferson Sd 14J | High School Success Teacher-High School | Ione, OR | 06/28/2025 | $45,472 |
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