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Middle school teacher salary

Quoted expert
Maggie Beeber

Average middle school teacher salary

$53,363

$25.66 hourly rate

Entry-level middle school teacher salary
$39,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Middle School Teacher Salary

As of October 2025, the average salary for a middle school teacher is approximately $53,363 annually. This figure can vary significantly based on several factors including geographic location, school district funding, and the teacher's level of experience. For instance, teachers in urban areas or those with advanced degrees often earn higher salaries.

Factors Influencing Salary

Key elements affecting a middle school teacher's salary include:

  • State: Salaries can differ by state, influenced by local education budgets.
  • Experience: More experienced teachers typically earn higher wages.
  • Certification Level: Teachers with advanced certifications often command better pay.

Top Paying States

States like California, New York, and Washington consistently offer some of the highest salaries for middle school teachers. This disparity can be attributed to the cost of living and state funding for education.

Job Outlook

The demand for middle school teachers remains robust. As schools continue to prioritize education quality, opportunities for employment are projected to grow, making this career an appealing choice for those passionate about teaching.

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Where can a Middle School Teacher earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
90k
70k
50k
30k
10k
Columbus, OH$75,532
Phoenix, AZ$40,012
Compare salary by company
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114k
94k
74k
54k
34k
Baltimore City Public Schools$84,227
Trinity Lutheran Church$64,111

Middle school teacher salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a middle school teacher typically falls between $53,363 and $79,369.
zippia
$53,363yearly
glassdoor[1]
$56,087yearly
comparably[2]
$79,369yearly
Salary.com[3]
$65,390yearly
ZipRecruiter[4]
$57,503yearly

Average middle school teacher salary by state

The highest-paying states for middle school teachers are Washington, Maine, and Massachusetts. The lowest average middle school teacher salary states are Nebraska, New Mexico, and Arizona.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for middle school teachers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Vermont$70,931$34.10
2New York$74,159$35.65
3Connecticut$66,086$31.77
4Maine$80,492$38.70
5New Jersey$66,828$32.13
6Rhode Island$68,279$32.83
7Washington$86,338$41.51
8Massachusetts$75,546$36.32
9Oregon$68,444$32.91
10Maryland$67,564$32.48
11District of Columbia$74,325$35.73
12Nevada$53,315$25.63
13Pennsylvania$60,594$29.13
14Minnesota$55,777$26.82
15Alaska$62,790$30.19
16Illinois$52,893$25.43
17New Hampshire$51,021$24.53
18Delaware$53,074$25.52
19North Dakota$57,902$27.84
20Oklahoma$50,394$24.23
21Ohio$54,846$26.37
22California$63,709$30.63
23Michigan$49,120$23.62
24Virginia$56,523$27.17
25Wisconsin$52,898$25.43
26Hawaii$60,971$29.31
27Georgia$50,035$24.06
28Utah$51,825$24.92
29Wyoming$45,943$22.09
30Kansas$46,513$22.36
31Montana$45,268$21.76
32Indiana$46,961$22.58
33Idaho$45,430$21.84
34Arkansas$47,568$22.87
35South Carolina$46,454$22.33
36Kentucky$47,420$22.80
37Texas$47,234$22.71
38West Virginia$48,180$23.16
39Florida$46,464$22.34
40Colorado$43,181$20.76
41Tennessee$43,823$21.07
42New Mexico$40,464$19.45
43Arizona$40,012$19.24
44Iowa$44,153$21.23
45North Carolina$43,477$20.90
46Nebraska$41,116$19.77
47Louisiana$41,936$20.16
48Alabama$44,627$21.46
49Missouri$39,401$18.94
50Mississippi$39,639$19.06
51South Dakota$35,556$17.09

Highest paying cities for middle school teachers

The highest-paying cities for middle school teachers are Boston, MA, New York, NY, and Washington, DC.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Boston, MA$75,532$36.31
2New York, NY$74,337$35.74
3Washington, DC$74,330$35.74
4Santa Rosa, CA$72,416$34.82
5Portland, OR$68,502$32.93
6Baltimore, MD$67,872$32.63
7Newark, NJ$66,938$32.18
8Columbus, OH$54,211$26.06
9Chicago, IL$53,407$25.68
10Savannah, GA$50,576$24.32
11Detroit, MI$49,345$23.72
12Pharr, TX$49,186$23.65
13Miami, FL$47,008$22.60
14Columbia, SC$46,564$22.39
15Indianapolis, IN$46,504$22.36
16Denver, CO$43,276$20.81
17New Orleans, LA$42,156$20.27
18Charlotte, NC$42,147$20.26
19Albuquerque, NM$40,281$19.37
20Phoenix, AZ$40,012$19.24

Middle school teacher salary details

A middle school teacher's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $72,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average middle school teacher salary graph
Average middle school teacher salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a middle school teacher's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$72,000$6,000$35
75th Percentile$62,000$5,167$30
Average$53,363$4,447$26
25th Percentile$45,000$3,750$22
10th Percentile$39,000$3,250$19

Highest paying middle school teacher jobs

The highest paying types of middle school teachers are science teacher, student teacher, and reading teacher.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Teacher/Tutor$42,955$3,580$20.6568,441
Reading Teacher$55,452$4,621$26.6668,234
Teacher$47,989$3,999$23.0771,918
Pre-K Teacher$40,301$3,358$19.3860,464
Guest Teacher$32,547$2,712$15.6584,930
Resource Teacher$43,487$3,624$20.9173,796

How would you rate the starting salaries for middle school teachers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Maggie Beeber

Undergraduate Advising Coordinator & Teacher Certification Officer, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

As much as we would like to see an increase in teacher salaries, we seldom speak of the other financial benefits most districts offer: one of the best pension plans in the country, health, sometimes vision and dental. Many districts will give raises for years of experience and higher-level degrees like a master's degree, EdD or Ph.D. Some may assist in paying for these.

Which companies pay middle school teachers the most?

Middle school teacher salaries at Baltimore City Public Schools and Excel Academy Charter Schools are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average middle school teacher salary at companies like Washington International School and DC International School are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$49,000$48,400$47,800$47,200$46,600$46,000
MaleFemale

Middle school teacher salary trends

The average middle school teacher salary has risen by $6,739 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average middle school teacher earned $46,624 annually, but today, they earn $53,363 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for middle school teachers over the last decade.

Compare middle school teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average middle school teacher salary over time

Compare middle school teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Middle school teacher salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$53,400$25.66+1.9%
2025$52,400$25.17+1.8%
2024$51,400$24.72+1.5%
2023$50,700$24.35+1.7%
2022$49,800$23.93+1.5%

Recently added middle school teacher salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
The University of ChicagoLaboratory Schools: Music Teacher, Middle SchoolChicago, IL06/30/2025$50,703
Crossroads Christian ChurchCrossroads School-Middle School Bible Facilitator (Teacher)Corona, CA06/30/2025$47,250
Kipp DcMiddle School: Lead Teacher-Greater Boston)Boston, MA06/29/2025$63,000
Kipp DcMiddle School Teacher: CamdenCamden, NJ06/29/2025$63,000
Get It Recruit-Educational ServicesVirtual Middle School Tutor-Remote | WFHLos Angeles, CA06/29/2025$31,305
Get It Recruit-Educational ServicesMiddle School Tutor-Remote | WFHGreensboro, NC06/29/2025$31,305
Lansing School DistrictMiddle School Elective TeacherLansing, MI06/29/2025$46,942
ZetacharterschoolsMiddle School Humanities Teacher)New York, NY06/29/2025$60,000
Get It Recruit-Educational ServicesMiddle School Humanities Teacher-Remote | WFHTacoma, WA06/29/2025$60,000
Match Charter Public SchoolsMiddle School Technology/Engineering Teacher)Boston, MA06/28/2025$61,812

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