How much does a teacher make?
Answer: A typical teacher in the United States makes $66,140 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 114,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Teacher pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $37,010 | $66,140 | $118,020 | about 114,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $100,610 | about 830 |
| Kansas | $94,520 | about 720 |
| Maryland | $94,070 | about 5,000 |
| District of Columbia | $93,040 | about 1,000 |
| California | $87,460 | about 31,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can depend on experience, education, and useful licenses or certificates, as well as the subject or skill being taught. Location, employer or industry, and how many hours or which shifts someone works can also make a difference.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a teacher do?
All teachers and instructors not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
A teacher may start by getting a lesson or demonstration ready, then lead a class as learners follow along. Afterward, they may answer questions, check progress, and prepare for the next session.
How to get this job
In the U.S., BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as typical entry education for this broad group, but the jobs cover many subjects. Build expertise in what you teach, then meet the employer’s rules and any license or certificate required for that field.
Did you know?
“All Other” is a catch-all for teaching jobs that don’t fit detailed job labels, so O*NET has no occupation-specific data for the group.
What about Japan?
Nearly the same jobThe US figure is the median and the Japan figure is the average, so it's not a perfect comparison. Prices differ too.
Earn more in the same field
Educational Instruction and Library jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-3099.00
- www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/print/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes253099.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2016/article/pdf/education-jobs-teaching-for-a-living.
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY