How much do elementary teachers make?

Hi Lindsey,

Thanks for considering teaching as a profession! It is a very rewarding job because you will be able to influence and make a difference for so many students.

Teacher pay varies by state and by number of years of experience. Conduct a Google search for "teacher salary in _ state" so you can get an idea of various pay scales. A great program to also look into is called Teach for America (www.teachforamerica.org). This program gives you additional teacher training after you graduate from college and helps to offset some of your student loans.

Good luck in your future career -- whatever you decide to do!

Hi,

Your pay does depend on where you live, how much experience you have, and your degree - a bachelor's or a master's too? Don't pick your focus based on pay - if you want to teach, there is a big difference between high school and elementary. I think the biggest difference is that in elementary, you teach everything! In high school, you can focus on one subject that you love and are very interested in. Then you would teach that!

Stephanie

According to on-line sources, in New York City (where I live and teach) a school teacher with a bachelor's degree and no prior teaching experience will start with a salary of $54,000. With a master's degree and eight years experience the salary will increase to $84,694. You should also factor in living expenses in various cities. For example, living in New York City is more expensive that other cities where the starting salary of a teacher might be lower. There are many factors to look at when you make a decision to pursue a teaching career.
However the best answer to your question is the answer Taylor Mali gave when someone asked him What Teachers Make. What he says is important and inspiring and I am copying the entire poem here because I think it's worth remembering that teaching involves much more than money.

"What Teachers Make

by Taylor Mali

He says the problem with teachers is

What’s a kid going to learn

from someone who decided his best option in life

was to become a teacher?

He reminds the other dinner guests that it’s true

what they say about teachers:

Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his

and resist the temptation to remind the dinner guests

that it’s also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we’re eating, after all, and this is polite conversation.

I mean, you’re a teacher, Taylor.

Be honest. What do you make?

And I wish he hadn’t done that— asked me to be honest—

because, you see, I have this policy about honesty and a**-­‐kicking:

if you ask for it, then I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Honor

and an A-­‐ feel like a slap in the face.

How dare you waste my time

with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall

in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.

No, you may not ask a question.

Why won’t I let you go to the bathroom?

Because you’re bored.

And you don’t really have to go to the bathroom, do you?

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:

Hi. This is Mr. Mali. I hope I haven’t called at a bad time,

I just wanted to talk to you about something your son said today.

To the biggest bully in the grade, he said,

“Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don’t you?

It’s no big deal.”

And that was noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are

and what they can be.

You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder,

I make them question.

I make them criticize.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them write.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful

over and over and over again until they will never misspell

either one of those words again.

I make them show all their work in math
and hide it on their final drafts in English.

I make them understand that if you’ve got this,

then you follow this,

and if someone ever tries to judge you

by what you make, you give them this.
Here, let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:

Teachers make a goddamn difference! Now what about you?