Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · SOC 25-2021
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Elementary School Teachers
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for elementary school teachers, except special education. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 25 of 383 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $104,650 | 950 | 7.3 |
| 2 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $103,390 | 10,480 | 9.7 |
| 3 | Walla Walla, WA | $102,980 | 220 | 8.4 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,920 | 14,560 | 7.0 |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $102,860 | 7,810 | 6.9 |
| 6 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $102,650 | 900 | 9.6 |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $101,860 | 44,790 | 7.1 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $101,860 | 17,860 | 7.5 |
| 9 | Modesto, CA | $101,640 | 2,450 | 12.5 |
| 10 | Bellingham, WA | $101,230 | 790 | 8.6 |
| 11 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $101,030 | 2,170 | 10.8 |
| 12 | Vallejo, CA | $100,790 | 1,680 | 11.6 |
| 13 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $100,730 | 500 | 9.6 |
| 14 | Napa, CA | $100,410 | 570 | 7.3 |
| 15 | El Centro, CA | $100,390 | 860 | 13.2 |
| 16 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $100,380 | 1,410 | 10.9 |
| 17 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $100,340 | 510 | 9.9 |
| 18 | Barnstable Town, MA | $100,320 | 810 | 8.6 |
| 19 | Salinas, CA | $100,220 | 2,280 | 12.2 |
| 20 | Merced, CA | $100,120 | 1,560 | 19.6 |
| 21 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $99,420 | 3,060 | 9.5 |
| 22 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $99,260 | 1,000 | 10.2 |
| 23 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $99,060 | 2,180 | 10.6 |
| 24 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $98,800 | 2,340 | 9.1 |
| 25 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $98,600 | 4,590 | 11.4 |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.