Elementary School Teachers Salary: $62,340 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 1,393,310 elementary school teachers work nationally, and $62,340 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 7% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.5% annual growth.
Elementary School Teachers: what the data shows
Common questions about elementary school teachers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a elementary school teachers?
Elementary School Teachers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 25-2021.
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 1,393,310 workers.
What does a elementary school teachers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Getting Information, Training and Teaching Others, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a elementary school teachers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $62,340 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $95,682 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,970 |
| 25th percentile | $76,977 |
| Median (50th) | $100,859 |
| 75th percentile | $109,929 |
| 90th percentile | $129,876 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Instructing, Learning Strategies, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Education and Training, English Language, Mathematics, Psychology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is elementary school teachers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 13.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 28.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 1,393,310.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do elementary school teacherss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 2,777,880 | 25.3% |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 2,774,570 | 25.3% |
| Cross-industry | 1,393,310 | 12.7% |
| Educational Services | 1,388,940 | 12.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 1,232,530 | 11.2% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 1,224,130 | 11.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Elementary School Teachers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 114,410 | $61,430 |
| Special Education Teachers | 28,200 | $62,190 |
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Middle School Teachers | 620,370 | $62,970 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
| Teachers and Instructors, All Other | 125,010 | $64,690 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Elementary School Teachers workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,393,310 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Elementary School Teachers grew from 380,380 in 2009 to 566,040 in 2025 (48.8%).
Historical employment for Elementary School Teachers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$62,340 Median pay (BLS national)
Elementary School Teachers earn $62,340 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Elementary School Teachers.
Salary distribution for Elementary School Teachers.
Employment Growth Projections
2.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
640,905 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 13.2%
725,672 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 28.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Elementary School Teachers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Elementary School Teachers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Elementary School Teachers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Elementary School Teachers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-2.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Elementary School Teachers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Elementary School Teachers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 141,650 employees, $93,150 avg wage
- TX: 124,430 employees, $60,510 avg wage
- NY: 103,920 employees, $91,990 avg wage
- FL: 78,630 employees, $58,870 avg wage
- IL: 61,000 employees, $70,470 avg wage
- OH: 50,110 employees, $68,880 avg wage
- PA: 47,220 employees, $71,000 avg wage
- NC: 44,040 employees, $51,890 avg wage
- GA: 42,440 employees, $69,120 avg wage
- NJ: 42,360 employees, $79,730 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Elementary School Teachers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 100,040 employees, $95,140 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 45,400 employees, $73,950 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 42,880 employees, $97,460 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 31,710 employees, $62,490 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 31,470 employees, $63,860 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 30,500 employees, $78,790 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 23,920 employees, $72,720 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 22,660 employees, $73,980 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 22,040 employees, $85,910 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 20,680 employees, $57,320 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Elementary School Teachers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Elementary School Teachers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Elementary School Teachers is about 1,393,310 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Elementary School Teachers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Elementary School Teachers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Elementary School Teachers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Elementary School Teachers in 2023 were Elementary Education, Education, Psychology.
Common majors for Elementary School Teachers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Elementary School Teachers workers.
Education level distribution for Elementary School Teachers.
Skills
Elementary School Teachers need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Instructing, Learning Strategies, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Elementary School Teachers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Elementary School Teachers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Elementary School Teachers include Education and Training, English Language, Mathematics, Psychology, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Elementary School Teachers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Elementary School Teachers include Oral Expression, Speech Recognition, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression.
Required abilities for Elementary School Teachers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Elementary School Teachers.
Daily Activities
Elementary School Teachers spend their time on activities such as Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Getting Information, Training and Teaching Others, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Elementary School Teachers.
About
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Elementary School Teachers earn $62,340 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
25-2021 - Elementary School Teachers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Elementary School Teachers reports an average salary of $95,682.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,393,310 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.