Elementary School Teacher salary
From 4,016 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 25-2021: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- Also filed as: Elementary Bilingual Teacher
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 52% of Elementary School Teacher filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Dallas Independent School District. 391 filings (10% of the total), median $74,000.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 7 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $54,669 in Phoenix, AZ to $78,360 in San Francisco, CA.
- Median up 16% since FY2020. From $54,369 in FY2020 to $63,043 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Elementary School Teacher H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 4,016 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Elementary School Teacher jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 25-2021, Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education). The median base salary is $61,479, 50% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $53,000 and $70,161. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 52% of filings. Dallas, TX has the most filings (413), and Dallas Independent School District is the employer that files the most (391).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Elementary School Teacher
District Of Columbia Public Schools95 filings · 2%$65,000
Portsmouth Public Schools49 filings · 1%$59,669
Bering Strait School District39 filings · 1%$75,875
Houston Independent School District38 filings · 1%$65,875
Milwaukee Board of School Directors37 filings · 1%$54,386
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools36 filings · 1%$57,970
Cleveland Independent School District34 filings · 1%$57,213
Employers with the most Elementary School Teacher filings. Bar: share of all Elementary School Teacher filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 52% of filings
Mid-level · 35% of filings
Senior · 7% of filings
Expert · 7% of filings
Level medians mix different jobs, so a higher level can show a lower median. Within one job, pay rises with level.
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $54,973 | 1,566 |
| Level II · Qualified | $66,000 | 1,051 |
| Level III · Experienced | $65,850 | 197 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $68,252 | 202 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Elementary School Teacher pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 71 metro areas
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Elementary School Teacher does
Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level.
Typical tasks
- Instruct students individually and in groups, using teaching methods such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among the students.
- Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems or with special academic interests.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (25-2021.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education), the median annual wage was $63,970 in May 2025, with 1,388,390 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $61,479, 4% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,916 | $47,960 |
| 25th percentile | $53,000 | $57,710 |
| Median | $61,479 | $63,970 |
| 75th percentile | $70,161 | $81,450 |
| 90th percentile | $82,010 | $104,340 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,916 |
| 25th | $53,000 |
| 50th (median) | $61,479 |
| 75th | $70,161 |
| 90th | $82,010 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $54,369 | $46,757 | $58,000 | 1,022 |
| FY2021 | $53,869 | $45,839 | $60,500 | 1,137 |
| FY2022 | $55,000 | $46,683 | $61,503 | 1,558 |
| FY2023 | $55,805 | $47,663 | $64,710 | 1,878 |
| FY2024 | $58,547 | $50,271 | $66,000 | 2,327 |
| FY2025 | $60,000 | $52,000 | $68,570 | 2,375 |
| FY2026 | $63,043 | $54,386 | $74,684 | 1,641 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Elementary School Teacher make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Elementary School Teacher jobs is $61,479 (4,016 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $53,000 and $70,161.
What does an entry-level Elementary School Teacher earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $54,973. Level I accounts for 52% of Elementary School Teacher filings.
Which city pays H-1B Elementary School Teachers the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Francisco, CA has the highest median base salary for Elementary School Teacher jobs: $78,360 (101 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Elementary School Teachers?
Dallas Independent School District (391), Savannah Chatham County Public School System (185) and Denver Public Schools District 1 (140) filed the most Elementary School Teacher LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Elementary School Teachers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($61,479) is 4% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($63,970, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.