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Salary comparison

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education: Who Earns More?

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys out-earn Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations by $13K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys land at $76,590 and Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations at $63,970. The education gap is real: criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary programs typically require bachelor's degree, while elementary school teachers, except special education programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys is California ($139,720); for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations it's Washington ($102,350).

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Median salary
$76,590
$63,970
Hourly rate
$null/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$45,000
$47,960
Senior level (90th %)
$140,240
$104,340
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
13,150
1,388,390
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
1%
Category
Education
Education
Top-paying state
California
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary median pay.

State
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
California
$139,720
$99,650
Maryland
$99,600
$77,680
Pennsylvania
$94,710
$77,060
Oregon
$93,960
$77,130
Rhode Island
$84,270
$90,930
Minnesota
$83,060
$76,350
New York
$82,770
$85,760
Delaware
$80,510
$75,920
Massachusetts
$79,500
$94,000
Utah
$76,650
$74,810
Ohio
$76,610
$77,370
Connecticut
$73,090
$80,600
Washington
$72,700
$102,350
New Jersey
$71,610
$78,200
Illinois
$66,040
$75,320

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations?

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys earn more nationally. The median is $76,590 for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys versus $63,970 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations, a difference of $13K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary typically requires bachelor's degree. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys get paid the most?

California is the top-paying state for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys at $139,720/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In California, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys earn $139,720 vs. $99,650 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Full Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education salary breakdownView →Best cities for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations by take-home payExplore →How to become a criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaryGuide →How to become a elementary school teachers, except special educationGuide →