High School Teachers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
High School Teachers in the United States earn a median salary of $72,040 per year — about $35 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 1.1M people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of -2%.
AI & Automation Risk
High school teachers are heavily exposed because core digital tasks like lesson planning, content creation, and grading are highly susceptible to AI automation and augmentation. While the physical requirement of classroom management and interpersonal mentorship provides a buffer, AI's ability to provide personalized tutoring and automated feedback significantly reshapes the instructional delivery and administrative workload of the profession.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WABEST VALUE | $121,190 | Above avg (105.9) | $114,449 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $104,940 | Average (97.9) | $107,163 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $104,110 | Average (99.3) | $104,832 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $102,600 | Average (98.9) | $103,757 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $102,010 | Average (98.6) | $103,484 |
| Yakima, WA | $100,560 | Average (97.9) | $102,715 |
| Kingston, NY | $101,300 | Average (99.6) | $101,733 |
| Merced, CA | $99,600 | Average (99.6) | $99,982 |
| El Centro, CA | $99,440 | Average (100.2) | $99,290 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $101,010 | Average (101.9) | $99,120 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $105,200 | Above avg (106.4) | $98,909 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $99,410 | Average (100.9) | $98,499 |
| Bellingham, WA | $102,160 | Above avg (104.0) | $98,219 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $104,180 | Above avg (107.4) | $96,984 |
| Modesto, CA | $101,890 | Above avg (105.1) | $96,921 |