Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 25-2022

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Median pay sits 35% below the mid peer in Educational Instruction and Library Occupations (neighbors include Law Teachers, Postsecondary, Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary, Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary, Physics Teachers, Postsecondary).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education: Law Teachers, Postsecondary ($129K) , Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($95K) , Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($101K) , Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($100K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 25-2022 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities
  2. 2. Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health
  3. 3. Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies
  4. 4. Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress
  5. 5. Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students
  6. 6. Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate these objectives to students
  7. 7. Assign lessons and correct homework
  8. 8. Assist students who need extra help, such as by tutoring and preparing and implementing remedial programs
  9. 9. Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems
  10. 10. Maintain accurate, complete, and correct student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations
  11. 11. Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities…
  12. 12. Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education: O*NET ranks Learning Strategies first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 25-2022 - lead skill Learning Strategies at 4.3 ; lead knowledge Education and Training. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Learning Strategies 4.3
  2. 2. Instructing 4.3
  3. 3. Speaking 4.1
  4. 4. Active Listening 4.0
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 3.9
  6. 6. Writing 3.9
  7. 7. Active Learning 3.9
  8. 8. Monitoring 3.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Education and Training 4.5
  2. 2. English Language 4.3
  3. 3. Philosophy and Theology 3.8
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.7
  5. 5. Psychology 3.3
  6. 6. Computers and Electronics 3.2
Pay vs Educational Instruction and Library Occupations peers
-35%
vs mid peer median $99,650
This role $64,370/yr
$64K
National median
↓ -2%
Growth 2024-2034
40,500
Annual openings
620,090
Estimated US jobs
Law Teachers, Postsecondary
Highest-pay peer · $129K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

1. New Jersey $78,770
2. Connecticut $93,610
3. California $98,950
4. New York $94,840
5. District of Columbia $79,900
6. Utah $79,180
7. Massachusetts $89,450
8. Rhode Island $92,760
9. Alaska $78,940
10. Washington $102,140

Other Educational Instruction and Library Occupations titles

  1. 1. Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary $94,980
  2. 2. Law Teachers, Postsecondary $128,500
  3. 3. Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary $101,420
  4. 4. Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $100,310
  5. 5. Geography Teachers, Postsecondary $97,590
  6. 6. Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $103,170

Among Educational Instruction and Library Occupations peers on this card, Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education sits 35% below the mid peer median ($99,650). Its own median is $64,370.

Employment Projections expect -2% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 40,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: New Jersey at $78,770. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Law Teachers, Postsecondary at $128,500. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education pay-rank #49 in Educational Instruction and Library Occupations

On the Educational Instruction and Library Occupations median table (64 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education lands at #49, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 25-2022 · national median $64,370 · lower third of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations (#49/64). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 25-2022

New Jersey · top state for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$79K published median

Connecticut · #2 state pay

$94K · behind New Jersey

Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Highest-pay peer vs Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education · $129K

Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Lower-pay peer beside Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education · $95K

Compare Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Against another occupation

Law Teachers, Postsecondary card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education land on the Educational Instruction and Library Occupations median table? ▼
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education is pay-rank #49 of 64 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Archivists ($65K), Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education ($64K), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($65K), Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary ($64K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education. Leading ones include: Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities; Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health; Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies; Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education? ▼
For SOC 25-2022, O*NET importance scores lead with Learning Strategies (4.3), Instructing (4.3), Speaking (4.1), Active Listening (4.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Education and Training, English Language, Philosophy and Theology. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $64,370 as the national median for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education. The published 10th-90th range is $48,080 to $102,540. Beside Law Teachers, Postsecondary ($128,500), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education is -2%. Projected annual openings: about 40,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education? ▼
New Jersey ($78,770), Connecticut ($93,610), California ($98,950) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 25-2022. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics