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High school english teacher salary

Quoted expert
Maggie Beeber

Average high school english teacher salary

$50,369

$24.22 hourly rate

Entry-level high school english teacher salary
$37,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding High School English Teacher Salaries

The average salary for a High School English Teacher is approximately $50,369. Factors influencing this figure include years of experience and location within the United States. For instance, teachers in states like California and New York often earn significantly more due to higher living costs and demand for qualified educators.

In addition to base salaries, many districts offer benefits, which can enhance overall compensation packages. Teachers with advanced degrees or special certifications may qualify for higher-paying positions. The job market is expected to grow, providing numerous opportunities for aspiring educators. By researching specific regions and school districts, candidates can better position themselves for favorable salary negotiations.

Salary Estimates by State

Understanding salary variations across states can guide teachers in choosing job locations that align with their financial goals. States such as Alaska and Massachusetts are known for offering competitive salaries. Utilizing resources like Zippia can help individuals track current salary trends and make informed career decisions.

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Where can a High School English Teacher earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
88k
68k
48k
28k
8k
Columbus, OH$70,772
Edmond, OK$37,597
Compare salary by company
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82k
62k
42k
22k
Piedmont Unified School District$63,615
North Monterey County Unified School District$51,822

High school english 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 high school english teacher typically falls between $50,369 and $74,750.
zippia
$50,369yearly
glassdoor[1]
$63,465yearly
comparably[2]
$74,750yearly
Salary.com[3]
$58,751yearly
ZipRecruiter[4]
$59,540yearly

Average high school english teacher salary by state

The highest-paying states for high school english teachers are Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. The lowest average high school english teacher salary states are Louisiana, Arizona, and Montana.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for high school english teachers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Maryland$71,900$34.57
2New Jersey$67,309$32.36
3New York$70,520$33.90
4Rhode Island$67,100$32.26
5Connecticut$62,359$29.98
6Illinois$56,885$27.35
7Delaware$60,951$29.30
8Pennsylvania$57,223$27.51
9Vermont$65,219$31.36
10Massachusetts$65,360$31.42
11Wyoming$57,915$27.84
12Michigan$52,248$25.12
13Nevada$50,244$24.16
14New Hampshire$50,824$24.43
15Alaska$63,756$30.65
16Oregon$52,015$25.01
17Nebraska$50,906$24.47
18Washington$55,025$26.45
19Ohio$51,019$24.53
20Idaho$48,737$23.43
21Maine$51,859$24.93
22District of Columbia$55,286$26.58
23North Dakota$51,902$24.95
24California$55,225$26.55
25Georgia$48,805$23.46
26Florida$47,559$22.86
27South Carolina$44,490$21.39
28Texas$44,497$21.39
29Wisconsin$46,254$22.24
30Minnesota$43,966$21.14
31New Mexico$42,973$20.66
32West Virginia$46,407$22.31
33Iowa$44,816$21.55
34Utah$47,120$22.65
35Indiana$43,199$20.77
36Kentucky$45,709$21.98
37Virginia$45,433$21.84
38North Carolina$43,165$20.75
39Kansas$42,531$20.45
40Colorado$41,819$20.11
41Montana$39,273$18.88
42Hawaii$49,158$23.63
43Tennessee$41,750$20.07
44Missouri$40,612$19.52
45Arizona$39,682$19.08
46Oklahoma$37,580$18.07
47Alabama$42,063$20.22
48Louisiana$40,092$19.27
49Arkansas$40,404$19.43
50Mississippi$38,882$18.69
51South Dakota$35,271$16.96

Highest paying cities for high school english teachers

The highest-paying cities for high school english teachers are New York, NY, Camden, NJ, and Providence, RI.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York, NY$70,772$34.02
2Camden, NJ$67,346$32.38
3Providence, RI$67,064$32.24
4Santa Rosa, CA$59,879$28.79
5Chicago, IL$57,316$27.56
6Detroit, MI$52,479$25.23
7Savannah, GA$48,726$23.43
8Cooper City, FL$47,689$22.93
9Columbia, SC$44,670$21.48
10Austin, TX$44,606$21.45
11Minneapolis, MN$43,993$21.15
12Boulder, CO$41,973$20.18
13Saint Louis, MO$40,807$19.62
14Little Rock, AR$40,343$19.40
15Yuma, AZ$40,147$19.30
16Baton Rouge, LA$40,106$19.28
17Edmond, OK$37,597$18.08

High school english teacher salary details

A high school english teacher's salary ranges from $37,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $67,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average high school english teacher salary graph
Average high school english teacher salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a high school english teacher's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$67,000$5,583$32
75th Percentile$58,000$4,833$28
Average$50,369$4,197$24
25th Percentile$43,000$3,583$21
10th Percentile$37,000$3,083$18

Highest paying high school english teacher jobs

The highest paying types of high school english teachers are science teacher, student teacher, and english language teacher.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Guest Teacher$32,547$2,712$15.6584,930
Math Teacher$51,088$4,257$24.5659,347
Head Teacher$51,715$4,310$24.8673,756
ESL Teacher$52,701$4,392$25.3463,897
English As A Second Language Teacher$55,428$4,619$26.6597,211
Student Teacher$59,035$4,920$28.3879,071

How would you rate the starting salaries for high school english 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 high school english teachers the most?

High school english teacher salaries at Piedmont Unified School District and Campbell Union High School District are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average high school english teacher salary at companies like Savannah-Chatham County Public School System and Salinas Union High School District are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$47,000$46,400$45,800$45,200$44,600$44,000
MaleFemale

High school english teacher salary trends

The average high school english teacher salary has risen by $6,890 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average high school english teacher earned $43,479 annually, but today, they earn $50,369 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for high school english teachers over the last decade.

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

Average high school english teacher salary over time

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

High school english teacher salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$50,400$24.22+1.9%
2024$49,400$23.75+2.2%
2023$48,300$23.23+1.9%
2022$47,400$22.79+1.9%
2021$46,500$22.35+1.4%

Recently added high school english teacher salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Rogers Independent School DistrictHigh School English TeacherRogers, TX06/28/2025$44,334
Fargo Public SchoolsHigh School English TeacherNome, ND06/27/2025$47,393
Missouri Digital AcademyHigh School English TeacherSaint Louis, MO06/27/2025$37,866
Liberty Hill ISDMiddle/High School Teacher, Special Education-English Resource/DyslexiaLiberty Hill, TX06/26/2025$30,000
Educate KansasEnglish Language Arts/Drama at Circle High SchoolTowanda, KS06/25/2025$49,250
Genesee Education Consultant ServicesMiddle/High School English Teacher: Full and/or AvailableFlint, MI06/24/2025$46,808
Quarry Lane SchoolHigh School English TeacherDublin, CA06/23/2025$75,000
St. Michael-Albertville Schools, ISD 885Long-Term Substitute High School English Teacher (September, 2025)Saint Michael, MN06/22/2025$65,101
Chappaqua Central School DistrictEnglish Teacher-High SchoolChappaqua, NY06/21/2025$70,467
Morris Hills Regional School DistrictTeacher of English-Adult High SchoolDowne, NJ06/20/2025$93,873

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