Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education Salary in Seattle, WA (2024)
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median of $99,970 per year based on 15,410 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +60.4% 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 Seattle, WA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31.22 | $64,940 | |
| 25th percentile | $38.16 | $79,370 | |
| Median | — | $99,970 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $58.32 | $121,310 | |
| 90th percentile | $60.71 | $126,270 | |
| Average (mean) | — | $97,740 |
How Seattle, WA compares
The local median of $99,970 runs +60.4% above the US median of $62,340 for this occupation; it pays 48.1% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($67,510); within the metro it ranks 170th of 687 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA — this occupation | $99,970 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $62,340 | +60.4% |
| Seattle, WA — all occupations | $67,510 | +48.1% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $100,580 | -0.6% |
A location quotient of 0.82 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 0.7%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 170th of 687 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Seattle, WA
To put $99,970 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 170th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $237,310 | 410 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $232,120 | 2,070 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $214,220 | 400 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $212,450 | 13,900 |
| Dentists, General | $208,810 | 1,670 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $208,230 | 2,260 |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $201,780 | 40 |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $192,970 | 140 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $183,640 | 4,560 |
| Financial Managers | $180,770 | 9,460 |
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 Seattle, WA?
The median annual wage is $99,970. That means half of the elementary school teachers, except special education working in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $97,740.
What do the highest and lowest paid elementary school teachers, except special education in Seattle, WA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $64,940 or less, while the top 10% earn $126,270 or more — a spread of $61,330 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $79,370 and $121,310.
Is elementary school teachers, except special education pay in Seattle, WA above the local average?
Yes, it is 48.1% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $67,510. 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 Seattle, WA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $99,970 the metro median is 60.4% 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 Seattle, WA?
BLS counts about 15,410 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 7.40 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.82 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 1.2%). 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.