Summarize

High School Teacher Salary in USA

High School Teacher salary data in USA from BLS OEWS 2025, with median pay, fresher range, intermediate range, senior range, mean salary, and source notes.

Median annual salary

$72,040

BLS OEWS 2025

25th percentile

$59,980

Lower market anchor

75th percentile

$92,570

Upper market anchor

Mean annual salary

$76,320

Average published wage

Salary Explorer

Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.

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Selected estimate

Intermediate range for High School Teacher in USA

$59,980 to $92,570

This is the 25th to 75th percentile. It uses salary percentiles, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.

Salary Range by Experience

These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.

Median salary

$72,040

Fresher

10th to 25th percentile

BLS

From

$48,780

to

To

$59,980

Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.

Intermediate

25th to 75th percentile

BLS

From

$59,980

to

To

$92,570

Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.

Senior

75th to 90th percentile

BLS

From

$92,570

to

To

$107,600

Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Fresher salary answer

Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare high school teacher offers in United States against $48,780 to $59,980.

Intermediate salary answer

Intermediate candidates can compare high school teacher offers in United States against $59,980 to $92,570.

Senior salary answer

Senior candidates can compare high school teacher offers in United States against $92,570 to $107,600.

How USA Salaries Compare With Major Cities for This Role

USA is the national BLS estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, so candidates can compare national pay with city hiring markets.

Mean annual salary

San Francisco

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$119,470

Los Angeles

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

$106,820

Seattle

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

$101,680

New York

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

$100,020

Chicago

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

$97,150

Boston

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

$92,430

Washington DC

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

$84,940

Denver

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

$78,560

USA

United States estimate

$76,320

Atlanta

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

$73,690

How High School Teacher Salaries Compare With Other Roles

This chart compares high school teacher pay in USA with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.

Mean annual salary

Physician

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

Psychiatrist

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

Surgeon

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

CIO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

CTO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

Engineering Manager

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

IT Manager

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

VP of Engineering

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

Dentist

Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021

$191,350

High School Teacher

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, SOC 25-2031

$76,320

Salary Snapshot

The median annual salary for high school teachers in United States is $72,040. The middle market range runs from $59,980 at the 25th percentile to $92,570 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $48,780to $107,600.

MeasureValueHow to read it
10th percentile$48,780Lower published wage point
25th percentile$59,980Common lower market anchor
Median$72,040Middle of the BLS wage range
75th percentile$92,570Upper market anchor
90th percentile$107,600High published wage point

Source Notes

This page maps High School Teacher to BLS occupation Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, SOC 25-2031. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.

This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, SOC 25-2031, as the public wage source for High School Teacher.

BLS area
United States
Employment estimate
1,065,210

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median high school teacher salary in United States?

The median annual salary for high school teachers in United States is $72,040, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education.

How much can fresher high school teacher candidates expect in United States?

Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For high school teachers in United States, that range is $48,780 to $59,980. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.

What is the intermediate high school teacher salary range in United States?

Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For high school teachers in United States, that range is $59,980 to $92,570.

What do senior high school teacher candidates earn in United States?

Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For high school teachers in United States, that range is $92,570 to $107,600.

Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?

No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.

How should I use these salary percentiles?

Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Why does this page use Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education instead of only High School Teacher?

BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps High School Teacher to Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, SOC 25-2031, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.

How fresh is this USA salary data?

The snapshot uses BLS OEWS 2025, generated from public BLS series. Refresh the snapshot when BLS publishes a newer annual release.

Adithyan RKWritten by Adithyan RK
Surya N
Fact-checked by Surya N
Published on: 17 May 2026Last updated: 24 Jun 2026
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