Employment and annual wages for preschool, primary, middle, and secondary school teachers

Each year, National Teacher Appreciation Day occurs on the Tuesday of Teacher Appreciation Week, the first full week of May. On this day, students and parents thank and honor teachers for their hard work and dedication. In May 2014, there were around 4 million preschool, primary, secondary, and special education teachers in the United States. The average annual wage for these teachers was $55,510.

In May 2014, there were about 1.4 million elementary school teachers, except special education—the largest group among teachers. These teachers had an average annual wage of $56,830 in May 2014.

Special education teachers had higher wages than other teachers. Special education teachers in middle school earned a wage of $59,590, on average, in May 2014. The average annual wage of special education teachers in secondary school (high school) was $61,350—the highest among all teachers.

Preschool, except special education, and substitute teachers earned far less than other teachers, with average annual wages around $30,000 in May 2014.

Average annual wages of elementary school teachers, except special education, ranged from around $41,000 in Mississippi and South Dakota and to over $70,000 in Connecticut, Alaska, and New York.

These data are from the Occupational Employment Statistics program. To learn more about preschool, primary, secondary, and special education school teachers, see Education, Training, and Library Occupation Profiles.