High school teacher pay by city
Across the 50 largest US metros, typical high school teacher pay ranges from $50,650 in Oklahoma City, OK to $108,230 in San Jose, CA. After taxes and local prices, it goes furthest in Seattle, WA, Sacramento, CA, San Jose, CA.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (occupation: Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, SOC 25-2031).
| Rank | Metro | Typical pay | Worth after taxes and prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $102,670 | $73,000 |
| 2 | Sacramento, CA | $105,060 | $72,400 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $108,230 | $71,700 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $98,970 | $71,100 |
| 5 | Riverside, CA | $100,130 | $69,700 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $92,110 | $69,500 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $98,850 | $68,000 |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | $102,810 | $67,800 |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | $100,960 | $65,800 |
| 10 | San Francisco, CA | $102,880 | $65,600 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $81,400 | $65,600 |
| 12 | Cleveland, OH | $79,610 | $65,400 |
| 13 | Pittsburgh, PA | $81,350 | $64,500 |
| 14 | Buffalo, NY | $79,280 | $63,600 |
| 15 | New York, NY | $100,800 | $63,400 |
| 16 | Milwaukee, WI | $75,370 | $61,100 |
| 17 | Hartford, CT | $80,710 | $61,100 |
| 18 | Louisville, KY | $74,040 | $61,000 |
| 19 | Virginia Beach, VA | $76,790 | $60,500 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $77,210 | $59,700 |
| 21 | Salt Lake City, UT | $77,490 | $59,300 |
| 22 | Philadelphia, PA | $80,560 | $58,500 |
| 23 | Detroit, MI | $77,520 | $58,300 |
| 24 | Denver, CO | $79,230 | $58,300 |
| 25 | Portland, OR | $84,120 | $58,200 |
| 26 | Minneapolis, MN | $79,010 | $57,800 |
| 27 | Memphis, TN | $62,230 | $56,600 |
| 28 | Washington, DC | $80,300 | $56,400 |
| 29 | Nashville, TN | $64,710 | $56,300 |
| 30 | Cincinnati, OH | $66,190 | $55,700 |
| 31 | Houston, TX | $65,540 | $55,600 |
| 32 | Baltimore, MD | $78,350 | $55,600 |
| 33 | San Antonio, TX | $61,840 | $54,800 |
| 34 | Las Vegas, NV | $65,520 | $54,700 |
| 35 | Dallas, TX | $65,890 | $53,500 |
| 36 | Birmingham, AL | $62,650 | $53,500 |
| 37 | Austin, TX | $62,320 | $53,300 |
| 38 | Kansas City, MO | $61,200 | $52,800 |
| 39 | Jacksonville, FL | $62,650 | $52,800 |
| 40 | Grand Rapids, MI | $63,730 | $52,300 |
| 41 | St. Louis, MO | $62,130 | $52,000 |
| 42 | Indianapolis, IN | $62,570 | $51,600 |
| 43 | Tampa, FL | $61,030 | $50,800 |
| 44 | Richmond, VA | $62,000 | $50,300 |
| 45 | Orlando, FL | $60,540 | $50,100 |
| 46 | Charlotte, NC | $60,300 | $50,100 |
| 47 | Raleigh, NC | $60,380 | $49,700 |
| 48 | Phoenix, AZ | $59,570 | $47,200 |
| 49 | Oklahoma City, OK | $50,650 | $45,500 |
| 50 | Miami, FL | $60,410 | $44,400 |
“Worth” is take-home pay at the typical salary (single filer, 2026 income taxes), divided by local prices, so every city is in the same typical-US-city dollars.
Common questions
Which city pays high school teachers the most?
Before taxes, San Jose, CA has the highest typical high school teacher pay among the 50 largest US metros: $108,230 a year. The lowest is Oklahoma City, OK at $50,650. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Where does high school teacher pay go furthest after cost of living?
After federal, state, and local income taxes and local prices, typical high school teacher pay goes furthest in Seattle, WA, Sacramento, CA, San Jose, CA. It goes the least far in Miami, FL, where it's worth about $44,400 in typical-US-city dollars.