Middle school teachers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Middle school teachers in the United States earn a median salary of $64,370 per year — about $31 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 634K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of -2%.
AI & Automation Risk
Middle school teachers have high exposure because a significant portion of their workload—lesson planning, grading, and content creation—is digital and highly susceptible to AI automation. However, the core of the job requires physical presence for classroom management, emotional support for adolescents, and real-time interpersonal interaction, which provides a substantial buffer against full automation.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro, CABEST VALUE | $104,140 | Below avg (95.2) | $109,421 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $106,920 | Average (102.4) | $104,370 |
| Merced, CA | $101,770 | Average (98.3) | $103,556 |
| Yakima, WA | $98,760 | Below avg (95.5) | $103,365 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $101,540 | Average (98.5) | $103,066 |
| Fresno, CA | $104,250 | Average (102.2) | $102,048 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $101,390 | Average (100.1) | $101,310 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $99,600 | Average (98.4) | $101,270 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $104,410 | Above avg (103.7) | $100,714 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $104,320 | Above avg (105.6) | $98,781 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $98,880 | Average (100.9) | $98,029 |
| Kingston, NY | $98,660 | Average (100.7) | $97,965 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $97,850 | Average (100.3) | $97,513 |
| Modesto, CA | $101,250 | Above avg (104.1) | $97,255 |
| Bellingham, WA | $100,430 | Above avg (103.3) | $97,190 |