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Good News: California Teachers Earn Some of the Highest Salaries Nationwide
California teachers are some of the highest paid educators in the nation. Elementary teachers make an average of about $63,000 per year, while secondary school teachers make nearly $65,000 per year. And that’s just the average; you’ll generally make more if you have considerable teaching experience, earn a master’s degree, or are willing to teach in a subject or locale experiencing a teaching shortage.
California schools often struggle to fill teaching positions in certain subjects, and schools are usually willing to richly reward teachers who help them alleviate these shortages. Teachers in special education, bilingual education, math, or science typically make higher salaries. Some districts are so desperate for teachers in these areas that they offer unique incentives such as hefty annual bonuses, mortgage assistance, and tax breaks to teachers.
You can get an idea of typical teacher salaries for a particular region by going to the California Employment Development Department’s searchable database of occupational guides (www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/occguides/Search.aspx). Each guide will contain information about the job duties of specific teaching jobs, working conditions, job outlook, wages, and benefits. DataQuest is another excellent resource. Created by the California Department of Education, this searchable database of educational information at the state, county, district, or school level can help you find out which areas expect to need the most teachers, making it easier to target your job search.