The average salary for a high school teacher in California is around $101,370 per year.
Avg Salary
High school teachers earn an average yearly salary of $101,370.
Wages typically start from $64,600 and go up to $132,600.
30% above national average Updated in 2025
High school teacher earnings by seniority
Top-level high school teacher earnings begin at:
$63.75 per hour
$132,600 per year
Senior-level high school teacher earnings begin at:
$60.54 per hour
$125,920 per year
Mid-level high school teacher earnings begin at:
$48.74 per hour
$101,370 per year
Junior-level high school teacher earnings begin at:
$38.32 per hour
$79,710 per year
Starting level high school teacher earnings begin at:
$31.06 per hour
$64,600 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
High school teacher salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $97,070 |
| Massachusetts | $95,260 |
| Rhode Island | $92,610 |
| District of Columbia | $82,750 |
| New Jersey | $82,200 |
| Connecticut | $80,970 |
| Illinois | $79,990 |
| Alaska | $79,650 |
| Oregon | $79,570 |
| Ohio | $78,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,800 |
| Maryland | $78,670 |
| Delaware | $77,960 |
| New Hampshire | $77,060 |
| Minnesota | $76,460 |
| Utah | $76,330 |
| Vermont | $76,220 |
| New Mexico | $75,900 |
| Georgia | $75,480 |
| Hawaii | $74,310 |
| Colorado | $72,900 |
| Virginia | $72,170 |
| Michigan | $66,030 |
| Nevada | $65,520 |
| Maine | $64,880 |
| Texas | $63,590 |
| Nebraska | $63,450 |
| Wisconsin | $62,870 |
| Wyoming | $62,690 |
| South Carolina | $62,580 |
| Alabama | $61,990 |
| Indiana | $61,880 |
| Tennessee | $61,860 |
| Idaho | $61,690 |
| Kentucky | $61,560 |
| North Dakota | $61,210 |
| Iowa | $61,200 |
| Montana | $60,990 |
| Florida | $60,410 |
| Kansas | $59,920 |
| Louisiana | $59,850 |
| Arkansas | $59,660 |
| Missouri | $59,240 |
| Arizona | $58,360 |
| North Carolina | $57,650 |
| West Virginia | $56,610 |
| South Dakota | $51,050 |
| Mississippi | $50,980 |
| Oklahoma | $48,710 |
| Guam | $48,490 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $48,490 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,740 |
| Washington | $102,670 |
| California | $101,370 |
How do high school teacher salaries compare to similar careers?
High school teachers earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than school psychologists but more than kindergarten teachers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| School psychologist salary | $128K |
| Physical education teacher salary | $128K |
| Music teacher salary | $99K |
| Professor salary | $112K |
| Distance learning coordinator salary | $100K |
| High school teacher salary | $101K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $100K |
| School counselor salary | $86K |
| Librarian salary | $90K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $83K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)