Salary by profession · US · 2026
Teacher salary in the US
What is the average teacher salary in the US?
The median US teacher earns about $63,000 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics), typically $48,000–$82,000. That's around $4,400 a month take-home in a no-tax state, and places the typical teacher in roughly the 59th percentile of US earners — $9,990 above the median.
Verified 12 August 2026
Teacher pay and take-home
| Salary | Take-home, no-tax state | Take-home, California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry / lower | $48,000 | $40,748 | $39,290 |
| Median | $63,000 | $52,801 | $50,300 |
| Experienced | $82,000 | $66,517 | $62,349 |
How teachers compare
The US median individual income is $53,010. At $63,000, the typical teacher earns $9,990 more — around the 59th percentile of all earners. Public-school pay is set by district salary schedules and varies enormously by state.
Location matters as much as the number. The same salary stretches far further in Texas than California. See what you'd keep in your city →