Compensation
Median Pay
$63,970
National median annual wage for this occupation.
National Career Overview
Elementary school teachers, except special education
Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
National Median Pay
$63,970
Projected Growth
-2.0%
Annual Openings
91,000
Career outlook
National Snapshot
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National
Employment
1,422,700
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Outlook
Projected Growth
-2.0%
Projected employment change through 2034.
Opportunity
Annual Openings
91,000
Estimated openings created each year.
Pathway
Preparation
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
STEP 1
Education
Bachelor's degree
STEP 2
Experience
None
STEP 3
Training
None
Top Skills for Success
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Speaking & listening
98 / 100
98%
Adaptability
96 / 100
96%
Creativity & innovation
94 / 100
94%
Interpersonal
93 / 100
93%
Leadership
92 / 100
92%
Mathematics
83 / 100
83%
Customer service
81 / 100
81%
Writing & reading
71 / 100
71%
Critical & analytical thinking
68 / 100
68%
Problem solving & decision making
64 / 100
64%
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Location Intelligence
Best Places for This Career
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
PRO
Best Metro Areas
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
- Top-paying cities
- Fast-growing markets
- Local opportunity rankings
CAREERGPS INSIGHTS
Career Analysis for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Is Elementary school teachers, except special education a Good Career?
Elementary school teachers, except special education, work in a large national occupation with 1,423,000 jobs. This role centers on helping young students build foundational skills, supported by strong abilities in speaking and listening, writing and reading, mathematics, and critical and analytical thinking. Success in the classroom also draws heavily on interpersonal strengths, leadership, adaptability, creativity and innovation, customer service, and problem solving and decision making. The national median salary of $62,340 reflects a structured professional path, and many teachers may explore opportunities in states and metro areas with higher pay and stronger CareerGPS opportunity scores. Related career paths include kindergarten teachers, middle school teachers, and several types of special education teachers, offering options for specialization or level changes over time. While overall projected employment growth is slightly negative, there are still many annual openings, so this career continues to present paths for new entrants and experienced educators who bring a broad, people-focused skill set.
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education Salary
The national median annual salary for elementary school teachers, except special education, is $62,340, but pay varies significantly by location. Among the top states by CareerGPS opportunity score, Washington reports the highest median salary at $102,350, followed closely by California at $99,650 and Massachusetts at $94,000. New York offers a median of $85,760, while Colorado’s median salary is $63,410, close to the national figure. At the metro level, several areas stand out for higher pay: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has a median salary of $102,860, and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA offers $101,860. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ shows a median of $96,900, while Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is at $98,060. These differences suggest that teachers interested in maximizing earnings may focus on specific states and metropolitan areas with higher reported median salaries and strong opportunity scores.
Job Outlook for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Elementary school teachers, except special education, make up a large workforce with 1,423,000 jobs nationwide. Despite this size, the occupation has a projected employment growth rate of -2.0%. Even with this projected decline, there are still 91,000 annual openings, indicating ongoing turnover and replacement needs within the field. Every listed state and metro area in the opportunity rankings also shows the same -2.0% projected growth rate, so the broader employment outlook is consistent across those highlighted locations. For students, career changers, and experienced educators, this means that while total employment is expected to contract somewhat, there will continue to be substantial opportunities to enter or move within the occupation. Prospective teachers can use both the national employment level and the volume of annual openings to gauge the scale of the field and potential movement between schools, districts, or regions over time.
Where Are the Best Opportunities for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?
Location plays a major role in opportunity and earnings for elementary school teachers, except special education. Among states, California has the highest CareerGPS opportunity score at 67.38, with a median salary of $99,650 and large employment of 155,160. Massachusetts (score 65.87, $94,000 median salary) and New York (score 65.78, $85,760 median salary) also rank highly, though with smaller employment than California. Colorado and Washington round out the top five by opportunity score, with Washington standing out for its $102,350 median salary. All listed states share the same projected growth rate of -2.0%. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest opportunity score (77.42) and a median salary of $102,860. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is close behind (score 77.27) with 98,900 employed teachers. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also combine high salaries with solid scores, while Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV offers a notable employment base of 30,940.
Education for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
The typical education requirement for elementary school teachers, except special education, is a bachelor’s degree. This degree path prepares future teachers for a role that depends on a diverse mix of communication, analytical, and interpersonal skills. Strong speaking and listening skills, along with writing and reading, support daily work with students, families, and colleagues. Mathematics skills are also important, reflecting the need to guide students through foundational quantitative concepts. Critical and analytical thinking, combined with problem solving and decision making, help teachers respond to classroom challenges and plan instruction effectively. Interpersonal skills and leadership are central to managing a classroom and working within a school community, while adaptability and creativity and innovation support engaging learning experiences. Customer service skills also contribute to positive interactions with students and families. Together, the bachelor’s degree requirement and this broad skill set define the professional profile expected in this occupation.
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