Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education Salary in San Francisco, CA (2024)
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn a median of $98,890 per year based on 14,800 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +58.6% against the national median of $62,340 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where elementary school teachers, except special education actually sit across the pay range in San Francisco, CA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28.58 | $59,440 | |
| 25th percentile | $35.79 | $74,440 | |
| Median | — | $98,890 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $58.39 | $121,450 | |
| 90th percentile | $60.21 | $125,240 | |
| Average (mean) | — | $96,460 |
How San Francisco, CA compares
The local median of $98,890 runs +58.6% above the US median of $62,340 for this occupation; it pays 33.7% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($73,960); within the metro it ranks 233rd of 681 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA — this occupation | $98,890 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $62,340 | +58.6% |
| San Francisco, CA — all occupations | $73,960 | +33.7% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $100,580 | -1.7% |
A location quotient of 0.68 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 5.0%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 233rd of 681 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in San Francisco, CA
To put $98,890 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 233rd.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Sciences Managers | $222,840 | 5,160 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $221,810 | 26,640 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $220,330 | 2,960 |
| Lawyers | $215,090 | 16,940 |
| Marketing Managers | $212,520 | 12,820 |
| Podiatrists | $211,750 | 100 |
| Financial Managers | $211,730 | 18,380 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $208,580 | 6,380 |
| Human Resources Managers | $206,420 | 5,890 |
| Dentists, General | $205,380 | 1,680 |
Where elementary school teachers, except special education earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $51,930 to $100,580. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $100,580 | 42,880 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $99,970 | 15,410 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $98,890 | 14,800 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $97,560 | 18,270 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $95,240 | 100,040 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $86,600 | 22,040 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $80,270 | 8,080 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $78,430 | 11,720 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $76,120 | 30,500 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $76,100 | 14,970 |
See the full national picture on the Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for elementary school teachers, except special education in San Francisco, CA?
The median annual wage is $98,890. That means half of the elementary school teachers, except special education working in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $96,460.
What do the highest and lowest paid elementary school teachers, except special education in San Francisco, CA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $59,440 or less, while the top 10% earn $125,240 or more — a spread of $65,800 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $74,440 and $121,450.
Is elementary school teachers, except special education pay in San Francisco, CA above the local average?
Yes, it is 33.7% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $73,960. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does San Francisco, CA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $98,890 the metro median is 58.6% higher than the US median of $62,340 for elementary school teachers, except special education. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $51,930 to $100,580.
How many elementary school teachers, except special education work in San Francisco, CA?
BLS counts about 14,800 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 6.15 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.68 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 10.5%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.