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Salary comparison

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education: Who Earns More?

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys out-earn Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations by $16K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys land at $80,340 and Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations at $63,970. The education gap is real: psychology teachers, postsecondary programs typically require bachelor's degree, while elementary school teachers, except special education programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys is California ($107,340); for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations it's Washington ($102,350).

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Median salary
$80,340
$63,970
Hourly rate
$null/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$49,050
$47,960
Senior level (90th %)
$153,600
$104,340
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
41,530
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 Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary median pay.

State
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
California
$107,340
$99,650
Delaware
$102,340
$75,920
Maryland
$101,430
$77,680
District of Columbia
$101,250
$96,580
New York
$100,720
$85,760
Rhode Island
$94,360
$90,930
Connecticut
$84,500
$80,600
Massachusetts
$82,930
$94,000
Minnesota
$82,640
$76,350
New Jersey
$80,790
$78,200
Oregon
$80,060
$77,130
Alaska
$79,040
$79,260
Ohio
$78,530
$77,370
Washington
$78,330
$102,350
Pennsylvania
$75,960
$77,060

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations?

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys earn more nationally. The median is $80,340 for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys versus $63,970 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations, a difference of $16K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Psychology 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, Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?

Psychology 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 Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys get paid the most?

California is the top-paying state for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys at $107,340/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In California, Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys earn $107,340 vs. $99,650 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Full Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education salary breakdownView →Best cities for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondarys by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations by take-home payExplore →How to become a psychology teachers, postsecondaryGuide →How to become a elementary school teachers, except special educationGuide →