The average yearly pay for an elementary teacher in the US stands at $52,101, or the equivalent of around $25.05 an hour, $1,001 weekly, or $4,341 monthly.
Elementary school instructors form the greatest number of educators teaching elementary skills and facts to young American students. Their wages, up to March 2025, are highly diversified according to position, education level, experience, and other forms of compensation.
Average yearly salary
As of March 18, 2025, ZipRecruiter indicates that the average yearly pay for an elementary teacher in the US stands at $52,101, or the equivalent of around $25.05 an hour, $1,001 weekly, or $4,341 monthly.
Nonetheless, other values may be estimated from other sources. For instance, on Salary.com, as of March 1, 2025, the average salary was $66,803 but was generally between around $54,814 and $80,670. Similarly, on US News & World Report, as of 2023, the average elementary school teacher salary was $63,680.
Reasons for the differences in the salaries
There are many reasons for the differences shown in the salaries:
- Geographic region: Salaries differ extremely state to state and district to district. For instance, US News & World Report reports New York at $94,600, California at $93,880, and Washington at $87,980.
- Cost of living: Increased compensation in certain states also has a higher cost of living, which may cancel out the economic advantage. For instance, although New York and California provide improved compensation, increased living expenses in the two states may mean a setback in overall economic welfare.
- Experience and education: Similar to most professions, the more experience or degree of higher education, the better salaries elementary school teachers earn. The salaries of elementary school teachers vary between $43,898 and $93,295 based on experience and education, according to Salary.com.
Allowances and other forms of compensation
Apart from base pay, elementary school teachers can earn in other ways:
- Bonuses and stipends: Some districts offer teacher bonuses for taking on extra duties, working in high-need schools, or achieving outstanding performance targets.
- Benefits packages: Full benefits, including health care, retirement plans, and paid time off, make up much of the overall compensation package.
- Professional development funds: Certain schools provide teachers with funds to go on to further education or professional development seminars to increase their skill set and possibly earn a pay raise.
Challenges and considerations
Though they do critical work, there are a lot of teachers living in poverty. There already are instances when teachers can’t afford basic things, while others must get a second job or a different place to live. There is one teacher in Austin, Texas, who earned $54,000 annually and had to live in his truck as he struggled with debt repayment.
Furthermore, the profession is also plagued by gender imbalances. The Wall Street Journal in an article published in January 2025 writes about the “pay penalty” that deters men from joining the teaching profession, which states that male teachers are paid much less than their counterparts in other professions and that it has a bearing on the gender composition of the profession.
