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Social science teacher salary

Quoted expert
Maggie Beeber

Average social science teacher salary

$52,056

$25.03 hourly rate

Entry-level social science teacher salary
$36,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Salary of a Social Science Teacher

The average salary for a social science teacher in the United States is approximately $52,056 annually, translating to about $25 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as geographical location, years of experience, and the specific school district. For instance, teachers in metropolitan areas often earn higher salaries due to increased demand and cost of living adjustments.

Salary by State

States like California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for social science teachers, reflecting both the cost of living and funding for education. In contrast, rural areas may offer lower salaries but can provide unique opportunities for community engagement.

Career Opportunities

In addition to traditional teaching roles, social science educators can explore positions in curriculum development, educational consulting, and administrative roles, which often come with higher pay scales. Understanding these options can help teachers plan their career paths effectively.

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Where can a Social Science Teacher earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
93k
73k
53k
33k
13k
Columbus, OH$74,794
Morgantown, WV$43,237
Compare salary by company
Vs
104k
84k
64k
44k
24k
Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles$75,884
Connections Academy$54,102

Social science teacher salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a social science teacher typically falls between $49,750 and $79,231.
zippia
$52,056yearly
glassdoor[1]
$73,839yearly
comparably[2]
$79,231yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$49,750yearly

Average social science teacher salary by state

The average social science teacher salary in Maryland, New York, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average social science teacher salary states are Mississippi, Idaho, and Montana.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for social science teachers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Maryland$75,074$36.09
2Delaware$65,558$31.52
3New Jersey$64,535$31.03
4New York$66,694$32.06
5Wyoming$57,987$27.88
6Connecticut$64,426$30.97
7Rhode Island$63,581$30.57
8District of Columbia$64,958$31.23
9Pennsylvania$64,426$30.97
10Washington$61,074$29.36
11Massachusetts$59,452$28.58
12Nevada$52,800$25.38
13Vermont$53,887$25.91
14Minnesota$59,152$28.44
15Alaska$57,921$27.85
16Illinois$54,309$26.11
17Ohio$59,608$28.66
18Wisconsin$56,241$27.04
19Oregon$56,341$27.09
20North Dakota$50,904$24.47
21Kansas$50,692$24.37
22Georgia$53,459$25.70
23Michigan$47,377$22.78
24Kentucky$52,158$25.08
25California$55,363$26.62
26Nebraska$46,851$22.52
27Virginia$55,235$26.56
28New Hampshire$44,185$21.24
29Louisiana$46,563$22.39
30Utah$49,724$23.91
31Arkansas$46,868$22.53
32New Mexico$43,191$20.76
33Hawaii$45,704$21.97
34North Carolina$46,133$22.18
35South Carolina$46,600$22.40
36Texas$47,056$22.62
37Alabama$47,291$22.74
38Florida$44,858$21.57
39Colorado$42,072$20.23
40Arizona$41,726$20.06
41Idaho$38,114$18.32
42Montana$35,223$16.93
43Iowa$42,990$20.67
44West Virginia$41,711$20.05
45Missouri$43,633$20.98
46Maine$32,791$15.76
47Indiana$40,133$19.29
48Tennessee$41,779$20.09
49Mississippi$39,426$18.95
50Oklahoma$34,485$16.58
51South Dakota$34,923$16.79

Highest paying cities for social science teachers

The highest-paying cities for social science teachers are Frederick, MD, New York, NY, and Bridgeport, CT.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Frederick, MD$74,794$35.96
2New York, NY$67,672$32.53
3Bridgeport, CT$65,890$31.68
4Philadelphia, PA$65,090$31.29
5Warwick, RI$63,963$30.75
6Benicia, CA$62,614$30.10
7Marysville, WA$60,970$29.31
8Cleveland, OH$60,875$29.27
9Boston, MA$59,036$28.38
10Chicago, IL$54,644$26.27
11Atlanta, GA$53,497$25.72
12Detroit, MI$47,722$22.94
13Fayetteville, AR$46,912$22.55
14Baton Rouge, LA$46,687$22.45
15Dallas, TX$46,333$22.28
16Urban Honolulu, HI$45,722$21.98
17Miami, FL$45,356$21.81
18Clinton, IA$44,343$21.32
19Saint Louis, MO$44,298$21.30
20Morgantown, WV$43,237$20.79

Social science teacher salary details

A social science teacher's salary ranges from $36,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $74,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average social science teacher salary graph
Average social science teacher salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a social science teacher's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$74,000$6,167$36
75th Percentile$62,000$5,167$30
Average$52,056$4,338$25
25th Percentile$43,000$3,583$21
10th Percentile$36,000$3,000$17

Highest paying social science teacher jobs

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

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Teacher$47,989$3,999$23.0771,918
History Teacher$53,780$4,482$25.8665,399
Math Teacher$51,088$4,257$24.5659,347
Head Teacher$51,715$4,310$24.8673,756
Spanish Teacher$52,445$4,370$25.2154,666
Biology Teacher$51,721$4,310$24.8768,958

How would you rate the starting salaries for social science 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 social science teachers the most?

Social science teacher salaries at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles and Rutgers University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average social science teacher salary at companies like Marywood University and University of California, Berkeley are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$48,000$47,200$46,400$45,600$44,800$44,000
MaleFemale

Social science teacher salary trends

The average social science teacher salary has risen by $7,121 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average social science teacher earned $44,935 annually, but today, they earn $52,056 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for social science teachers over the last decade.

Compare social science teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average social science teacher salary over time

Compare social science teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Social science teacher salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$52,100$25.03+1.9%
2024$51,100$24.55+2.2%
2023$49,900$24.01+1.9%
2022$49,000$23.55+1.9%
2021$48,000$23.10+1.4%

Recently added social science teacher salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Monte Vista Christian SchoolSocial Sciences Teacher Academic Year)Watsonville, CA06/30/2025$50,000
Capital Prep Harbor School Inc.Social Justice TeacherFine, NY06/29/2025$62,784
Encinitas Union ElementarySocial Emotional Learning-Trac Teacher (Teamwork, Regulation, Awareness, Community) for TheEncinitas, CA06/28/2025$49,589
Decatur Public SchoolsSocial/Emotional Development TeacherDecatur, IL06/25/2025$44,500
Rochambeau, The French International School of Washington DcTeacher Secondary Economy-Social Sciences*Bethesda, MD06/19/2025$49,911
Brentwood Union School DistrictTeacher-7Th/8Th Grade Social Science/World Cultures School YearIone, CA06/14/2025$65,357
Edgewood ISDACE-MS Science/Social StudiesNome, TX06/12/2025$58,500
Standard School DistrictTeacher, Social ScienceIone, CA06/01/2025$56,701
Rochambeau, The French International School of Washington DcTeacher Secondary Economy-Social Sciences*Bethesda, MD05/26/2025$49,911
Scott Valley Unified School DistrictTeacher, 7Th or 8Th Grade, English/Social Science, Scott Valley Junior HighFort Jones, CA05/23/2025$47,043

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