Teacher Salary by U.S. City (2026)

Teacher salaries across 50 U.S. cities, from BLS wage data: median and 10th-90th percentiles, plus cost-of-living-adjusted real pay. Compare metros.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS) & BEA Regional Price Parities · Updated June 2026

Cities tracked
50
National average
$73,800

How Teacher pay varies by city

Across the 50 U.S. metros tracked here, Teacher pay ranges from about $49,460 in Tucson, AZ to $105,100 in San Diego, CA (median wage). But the highest nominal pay isn’t the best deal once local prices are factored in: adjusted for cost of living, Wichita, KS delivers the strongest real buying power (about $319,016 in national-average dollars). The U.S. national average for this role is about $73,800.

The table below ranks every metro by median wage. “Real pay” adjusts each salary for local cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. = 100) so you can compare what the paycheck is actually worth. See our methodology for sources and formulas.

CityMedian10th %ile90th %ileCost of living
(US = 100)		Real pay
(COL-adjusted)
San Diego, CA$105,100$63,890$212,730111.9$107,117
Sacramento, CA$104,080$64,030$128,960106.7$92,528
Oakland, CA$103,010$64,460$168,010115.6$92,827
San Francisco, CA$103,010$64,460$168,010115.6$92,827
San Jose, CA$102,460$74,390$163,730110.4$103,122
Fresno, CA$101,980$65,200$142,690102.2$106,120
Seattle, WA$101,560$66,470$124,820111.1$88,183
New York, NY$100,880$62,940$137,000112.6$88,306
Long Beach, CA$99,820$63,910$170,190113.6$92,316
Los Angeles, CA$99,820$63,910$170,190113.6$92,316
Portland, OR$97,760$60,370$128,530105.4$89,716
Boston, MA$83,966$44,894$111,316108.3$77,555
Cleveland, OH$81,080$48,770$102,610——
Washington, DC$80,570$54,930$115,650108.9$77,596
Chicago, IL$80,560$50,580$131,310103.6$82,012
Columbus, OH$80,000$48,770$106,14095.5$81,775
Philadelphia, PA$79,500$51,170$102,240102.6$75,258
Baltimore, MD$75,350$50,950$101,130104.5$72,315
Jacksonville, FL$69,180$50,950$78,98099.5$70,685
Denver, CO$67,460$49,370$98,970105.8$66,987
Atlanta, GA$67,360$47,540$103,630100.1$75,426
Milwaukee, WI$67,090$51,050$106,61096.9$77,452
Minneapolis, MN$67,040$49,220$100,290104.8$69,136
Houston, TX$66,260$58,040$78,59098.6$67,333
Arlington, TX$65,940$58,770$79,610——
Dallas, TX$65,940$58,770$79,610103.1$65,031
Detroit, MI$64,910$48,540$97,380100.3$71,068
Fort Worth, TX$64,851$34,154$86,338103.1$62,907
Albuquerque, NM$64,530$50,730$80,68095.5$69,265
Louisville, KY$64,390$47,430$83,81093.1$71,706
Indianapolis, IN$63,610$48,100$98,95095.7$71,027
Austin, TX$63,270$55,130$82,74098.1$66,955
Mesa, AZ$63,080$48,670$103,420103.3$68,199
Phoenix, AZ$63,080$48,670$103,420103.3$68,199
Las Vegas, NV$62,970$52,720$79,960100.2$65,250
Nashville, TN$62,850$48,790$77,58096.3$62,904
San Antonio, TX$62,340$53,020$82,52094.7$68,278
Omaha, NE$62,230$45,910$78,32091.9$66,314
El Paso, TX$62,040$49,680$64,18089.9$67,444
Memphis, TN$61,730$49,050$76,10092.2$64,895
Wichita, KS$61,470$48,130$73,26018.3$319,016
New Orleans, LA$60,680$49,630$66,64026.3$223,308
Kansas City, MO$60,490$46,970$78,69092.5$68,228
Charlotte, NC$59,390$46,680$75,64097.3$60,022
Tulsa, OK$59,200$41,930$81,17089.2$67,220
Miami, FL$57,190$50,750$78,700114.2$53,471
Colorado Springs, CO$56,200$40,880$80,370100.7$57,990
Oklahoma City, OK$51,900$42,330$84,01090.4$64,696
Raleigh, NC$50,330$47,160$64,51098.2$55,707
Tucson, AZ$49,460$42,540$64,00096.9$55,761

“Real pay” = average wage × 100 ÷ the metro’s Regional Price Parity — what the salary is worth in national-average dollars. A high-paying city with high costs can rank below a cheaper one on real pay.

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