The folks responsible for educating our youth may enjoy a well-defined career track and two major benefits (July and August). And though teaching is not necessarily known as a high-paying line of work, that depends on where one teaches. In some parts of the U.S., teaching jobs are paid a lot better than in other areas. Per PayScale data, big cities can mean bigger paychecks.
See for yourself which cities pay their teachers the most.
1. New York, New York
New York City Department of Education is the largest school district in the U.S., serving 1.1 million students in more than 1,800 schools.
Population: 8,398,748
Annual average salary for K-12 teacher: $58,707
Cost of living compared to national average: 129% greater than national average
Find all teaching jobs in New York City on Monster.
2. Los Angeles, California
Second largest in the nation, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) serves more than 600,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade at more than 1,000 schools and more than 200 public charter schools.
Population: Just over 4 million
Annual average salary for K-12 teacher: $54,812
Cost of living compared to national average: 43% greater than national average
Find all teaching jobs in Los Angeles on Monster.
3. Houston, Texas
The Houston Independent School District (HISD), ranked as the nation’s seventh largest district, employs 13,000 teachers in 288 schools, catering to more than 210,000 students.
Population: 2,313,000
Annual average salary for K-12 teacher: $52,509
Cost of living compared to national average: 2% lower than national average
Find all teaching jobs in Houston on Monster.
4. Dallas, Texas
The Dallas Independent School District (ISD) serves approximately 155,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. With 230 schools, Dallas ISD employs more than 20,000 professionals.
Population: 1,341,000
Annual average salary for K-12 teacher: $50,754
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Cost of living compared to national average: 2% greater than national average
Find all teaching jobs in Dallas on Monster.
5. Chicago, Illinois
Coming in as the nation’s third largest school district, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) serves more than 361,000 students in more than 600 schools.
Population: 2,716,000
Annual average salary for K-12 teacher: $50,378
Cost of living compared to national average: 23% greater than national average
Find all teaching jobs in Chicago on Monster.
6. Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) serves approximately 52,000 students across 61 neighborhood schools, five partner schools, 18 charter schools, two citywide single-gender academies, three alternative schools, and four alternative programs, and employs nearly 4,000 teachers.
Population: 486,290
Annual average salary for K-12 teacher: $47,597
Cost of living compared to national average: 1% lower than national average
Find all teaching jobs in Atlanta on Monster.
7. Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is home to 325 public schools in 30 school districts—and that’s not including the 200 charter and private schools. The city’s largest school district, Paradise Valley Unified School District, enrolls 31,858 students.
Population: 1,626,000
Annual average salary for K-12 teacher: $40,504
Cost of living compared to national average: 5% lower than national average
Find all teaching jobs in Phoenix on Monster.
Find all teaching jobs on Monster.
Set yourself up for success
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