Elementary School Teachers vs High School Teachers
High School Teachers earns $2,240 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Elementary School Teachers | High School Teachers | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2024 | $62,340 | $64,580 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $46,440 to $102,010 | $47,330 to $104,670 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 4 | 4 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Jobs opening up each year | not published separately | 66,200 |
| Growth by 2034 | -2% | -2% |
| People doing it now | 1,422,700 | 1,094,500 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $99,110 in Washington down to $47,470 in Oklahoma | $99,640 in Washington down to $49,170 in Oklahoma |
Also compared: Accountants vs Elementary School Teachers Accountants vs High School Teachers Elementary School Teachers vs Human Resources Specialists High School Teachers vs Human Resources Specialists
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Elementary School Teachers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
- Tutors
- Special Education Teachers, Elementary School
What these usually take: Usually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
High School Teachers
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- Tutors
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Special Education Teachers, Elementary School
What these usually take: Usually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2024, and employment projections 2024-34. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.