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Science teacher salary
Average science teacher salary
$59,788
Average Science Teacher Salary
The average salary for a science teacher in the United States is $59,788 per year. This translates to approximately $29 per hour. Factors such as location, experience, and specialization significantly impact earnings. For example, teachers in urban areas or those with advanced degrees typically earn more than their counterparts in rural settings.
How Much Does a Science Teacher Make?
In addition to base salaries, many districts offer benefits, including health insurance and retirement plans. Teachers with over 10 years of experience can expect to earn significantly more, potentially exceeding $70,000 annually, particularly in high-demand regions.
Where Can a Science Teacher Earn More?
States like California, New York, and Massachusetts tend to offer the highest salaries for science teachers. Specific districts within these states also provide competitive compensation packages. Additionally, teachers who engage in extracurricular activities or take on administrative roles often see increases in their overall earnings.
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Where can a Science Teacher earn more?
Science teacher salary estimates from across the web
Average science teacher salary by state
The highest-paying states for science teachers are Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington. The lowest average science teacher salary states are Mississippi, Arizona, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for science teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $88,908 | $42.74 |
| 2 | Vermont | $83,233 | $40.02 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $96,096 | $46.20 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $83,576 | $40.18 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $81,710 | $39.28 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $85,083 | $40.91 |
| 7 | New York | $83,906 | $40.34 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $71,640 | $34.44 |
| 9 | Illinois | $72,214 | $34.72 |
| 10 | Delaware | $75,309 | $36.21 |
| 11 | Washington | $86,866 | $41.76 |
| 12 | Michigan | $68,465 | $32.92 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $74,948 | $36.03 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $65,551 | $31.51 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $74,254 | $35.70 |
| 16 | Oregon | $73,236 | $35.21 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $64,885 | $31.19 |
| 18 | Maine | $67,017 | $32.22 |
| 19 | Virginia | $67,420 | $32.41 |
| 20 | Nevada | $58,181 | $27.97 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $58,107 | $27.94 |
| 22 | Utah | $65,491 | $31.49 |
| 23 | Florida | $61,892 | $29.76 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $64,159 | $30.85 |
| 25 | Ohio | $62,717 | $30.15 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $62,668 | $30.13 |
| 27 | Alaska | $70,152 | $33.73 |
| 28 | Iowa | $57,350 | $27.57 |
| 29 | Alabama | $60,815 | $29.24 |
| 30 | California | $65,669 | $31.57 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $57,308 | $27.55 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $56,997 | $27.40 |
| 33 | Georgia | $59,386 | $28.55 |
| 34 | Montana | $49,893 | $23.99 |
| 35 | Idaho | $56,897 | $27.35 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $57,266 | $27.53 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $54,181 | $26.05 |
| 38 | Kansas | $52,557 | $25.27 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $63,585 | $30.57 |
| 40 | Colorado | $49,760 | $23.92 |
| 41 | Indiana | $52,179 | $25.09 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $44,888 | $21.58 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $55,193 | $26.54 |
| 44 | Texas | $50,794 | $24.42 |
| 45 | Arizona | $44,151 | $21.23 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $49,631 | $23.86 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $39,594 | $19.04 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $44,459 | $21.37 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $43,611 | $20.97 |
| 50 | Missouri | $41,237 | $19.83 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $40,634 | $19.54 |
Highest paying cities for science teachers
The highest-paying cities for science teachers are Boston, MA, Baltimore, MD, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $96,006 | $46.16 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | $89,077 | $42.83 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $84,124 | $40.44 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $75,398 | $36.25 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $74,212 | $35.68 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $72,957 | $35.08 |
| 7 | Detroit, MI | $68,705 | $33.03 |
| 8 | Los Angeles, CA | $64,982 | $31.24 |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | $64,220 | $30.88 |
| 10 | Austin, MN | $63,322 | $30.44 |
| 11 | Savannah, GA | $61,443 | $29.54 |
| 12 | Jacksonville, FL | $59,506 | $28.61 |
| 13 | Wilson, NC | $59,435 | $28.57 |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $57,814 | $27.80 |
| 15 | Brownsville, TX | $54,023 | $25.97 |
| 16 | Kansas City, KS | $53,314 | $25.63 |
| 17 | Indianapolis, IN | $51,743 | $24.88 |
| 18 | Baton Rouge, LA | $49,887 | $23.98 |
| 19 | Denver, CO | $49,807 | $23.95 |
| 20 | Phoenix, AZ | $44,283 | $21.29 |
Science teacher salary details
A science teacher's salary ranges from $40,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $87,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a science teacher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 75th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| Average | $59,788 | $4,982 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
Highest paying science teacher jobs
The highest paying types of science teachers are student teacher, reading teacher, and high school science teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts Teacher | $48,483 | $4,040 | $23.31 | 88,793 |
| Learning Support Teacher | $33,914 | $2,826 | $16.30 | 120,054 |
| Elementary School Teacher | $52,161 | $4,347 | $25.08 | 84,607 |
| Long Term Substitute Teacher | $42,808 | $3,567 | $20.58 | 69,133 |
| Summer School Teacher | $52,828 | $4,402 | $25.40 | 86,467 |
| 5th Grade Teacher | $46,300 | $3,858 | $22.26 | 57,358 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for science teachers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
R. Todd Coy Ph.D.
Professor, Colby-Sawyer College
Which companies pay science teachers the most?
Science teacher salaries at Pace University and University of Massachusetts Medical School are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average science teacher salary at companies like Georgetown Preparatory School and UC Merced are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pace University | $117,891 | $56.68 |
| 2 | University of Massachusetts Medical School | $111,846 | $53.77 |
| 3 | Georgetown Preparatory School | $99,576 | $47.87 |
| 4 | UC Merced | $97,278 | $46.77 |
| 5 | University of San Diego | $96,918 | $46.60 |
| 6 | University of Washington | $96,750 | $46.51 |
| 7 | Georgetown University | $96,311 | $46.30 |
| 8 | Hackensack Meridian Health | $95,656 | $45.99 |
| 9 | Harvard University | $95,610 | $45.97 |
| 10 | California Institute of Technology | $95,585 | $45.95 |
| 11 | University of Delaware | $94,576 | $45.47 |
| 12 | Boston College | $94,037 | $45.21 |
| 13 | University of Southern California | $93,943 | $45.16 |
| 14 | Stanford University | $93,871 | $45.13 |
| 15 | University of California | $93,581 | $44.99 |
| 16 | University of St. Thomas | $93,086 | $44.75 |
| 17 | University of California-Berkeley | $93,083 | $44.75 |
| 18 | Rutgers University | $92,890 | $44.66 |
| 19 | Boston Public Schools | $92,815 | $44.62 |
| 20 | Claremont Graduate University | $92,758 | $44.60 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Science teacher salary trends
The average science teacher salary has risen by $8,178 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average science teacher earned $51,610 annually, but today, they earn $59,788 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for science teachers over the last decade.
Compare science teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average science teacher salary over time
Compare science teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Science teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59,800 | $28.74 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $58,600 | $28.19 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $57,400 | $27.58 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $56,300 | $27.05 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $55,200 | $26.53 | +1.4% |
Recently added science teacher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | Science Teacher-Upward Bound | Bono, AR | 06/30/2025 | $41,740 |
| Mcps | Fy26: Teacher, Science, Montgomery Village MS FTE | Gaithersburg, MD | 06/29/2025 | $62,558 |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | Fy26: Teacher, Science, Montgomery Village MS FTE | Gaithersburg, MD | 06/29/2025 | $62,558 |
| Capital Preparatory Schools | Science Teacher | Fine, NY | 06/29/2025 | $62,784 |
| Ma Hperd | DMH Science Teacher | Worcester, MA | 06/29/2025 | $57,233 |
| Tutor Doctor of Morris County | Science Tutor (NJ Certified Teacher) | Long Valley, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| Ohio Department of Education | Career Based Intervention Instructor/Science Teacher of Record | Hamilton, OH | 06/28/2025 | $51,281 |
| Native American Youth and Family Center | Science Teacher | Portland, OR | 06/28/2025 | $52,000 |
| Abby Kelley Foster Charter School | Grade 6 Science Teacher | Worcester, MA | 06/28/2025 | $54,182 |
| Seattle Public Schools | Hamilton Int'l Middle-Science CTE Teacher FTE | Seattle, WA | 06/28/2025 | $72,908 |
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