Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
The median pay for a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $81,050/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $58K at the entry level to $123K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.13), so that salary is closer to $72,933 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,501/month, about 46.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $81K actually covers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue’s Regional Price Parity (111.13). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary pay in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue tracks closely to the national median, $81K locally vs. $79K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,501/month, which is 45.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.13), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $78K | $78K |
| Walla Walla | $76K | $77K |
| Boise City | $60K | $61K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $101K | $100K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Entry-level art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $58K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $123K or more, a $65K spread from bottom to top.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $103K | +31% | 150 |
| California | $99K | +26% | 9,820 |
| New York | $99K | +26% | 14,920 |
| Vermont | $98K | +25% | 180 |
| Rhode Island | $98K | +24% | 440 |
| District of Columbia | $97K | +23% | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $86K | +9% | 4,960 |
| Maryland | $86K | +9% | 1,280 |
| Michigan | $83K | +6% | 2,410 |
| New Jersey | $80K | +2% | 3,300 |
| Georgia | $80K | +2% | 1,910 |
| Maine | $80K | +2% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $79K | +1% | 440 |
| Louisiana | $79K | +0% | 720 |
| Connecticut | $79K | -0% | 1,430 |
| Montana | $78K | -0% | 190 |
| Ohio | $78K | -1% | 3,940 |
| Washington | $78K | -1% | 1,400 |
| Minnesota | $78K | -1% | 1,310 |
| Iowa | $78K | -1% | 910 |
| Texas | $78K | -1% | 6,730 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | -1% | 1,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $77K | -2% | 4,170 |
| Oregon | $77K | -2% | 1,440 |
| New Mexico | $76K | -3% | 380 |
| Indiana | $76K | -3% | 1,920 |
| Missouri | $76K | -3% | 1,450 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -4% | 490 |
| Virginia | $75K | -5% | 2,840 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -6% | 2,880 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -7% | 340 |
| Idaho | $72K | -8% | 250 |
| Arizona | $72K | -8% | 1,040 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -8% | 1,370 |
| Colorado | $70K | -11% | 1,950 |
| North Dakota | $67K | -15% | 130 |
| Utah | $66K | -16% | 790 |
| Kentucky | $64K | -18% | 900 |
| Florida | $64K | -19% | 2,490 |
| Alabama | $64K | -19% | 900 |
| South Dakota | $63K | -19% | 200 |
| Illinois | $63K | -20% | 4,170 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -21% | 760 |
| Kansas | $61K | -22% | 640 |
| Arkansas | $61K | -23% | 360 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -23% | 540 |
| Wyoming | $59K | -25% | 180 |
| Nevada | $53K | -33% | 260 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 45.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,501/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $58K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,034/month. At HUD’s $2,501/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $81K locally vs. $79K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue compare to the national average for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — below the national median.
How much do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries make in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The median is $81,050 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $57,710, and experienced art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries can clear $122,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,450/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,501/month, which eats 45.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary go in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has a Regional Price Parity of 111.13 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $72,933 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.