Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Salary
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools in Tucson, AZ make a median of $79,530 a year. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.9), that's roughly $82,074 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,402/month, or 26.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $80K get you in Tucson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tucson’s Regional Price Parity (96.9). 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary schools
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What this looks like in Tucson
Tucson sits well above the national pay line for career/technical education teachers, secondary school, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $66K. Rent runs $1,402/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.9) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for career/technical education teachers, secondary schools in metros near Tucson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $75K | $72K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $102K | $88K |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $126K | $116K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $82K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tucson, AZ
Entry-level career/technical education teachers, secondary schools (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $54K spread from bottom to top.
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $101K | +53% | 3,460 |
| Connecticut | $101K | +52% | 1,910 |
| Massachusetts | $98K | +48% | 3,130 |
| New Jersey | $84K | +26% | 2,320 |
| Rhode Island | $82K | +23% | 90 |
| California | $81K | +22% | 3,260 |
| New York | $80K | +20% | 7,610 |
| Delaware | $79K | +20% | 560 |
| Ohio | $79K | +20% | 5,130 |
| Vermont | $79K | +20% | 220 |
| Georgia | $79K | +19% | 1,680 |
| Oregon | $78K | +18% | 750 |
| Maryland | $78K | +18% | 690 |
| Alaska | $78K | +18% | 170 |
| Maine | $78K | +18% | 170 |
| Illinois | $78K | +18% | 2,780 |
| Michigan | $77K | +17% | 1,800 |
| New Hampshire | $76K | +15% | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | +14% | 4,840 |
| Virginia | $76K | +14% | 3,500 |
| Wisconsin | $74K | +12% | 1,420 |
| Colorado | $73K | +10% | 1,250 |
| Utah | $72K | +9% | 730 |
| South Carolina | $72K | +9% | 1,150 |
| Minnesota | $72K | +8% | 880 |
| New Mexico | $67K | +1% | 100 |
| Texas | $65K | -3% | 32,250 |
| Nevada | $65K | -3% | 150 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -5% | 1,310 |
| Arizona | $63K | -5% | 660 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -6% | 210 |
| Florida | $62K | -6% | 6,820 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -7% | 1,000 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -7% | 2,940 |
| North Dakota | $62K | -7% | 640 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -7% | 1,530 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -8% | 330 |
| Idaho | $61K | -9% | 1,140 |
| Alabama | $59K | -10% | N/A |
| Missouri | $59K | -11% | 2,000 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -11% | 1,170 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -12% | 2,650 |
| Kansas | $58K | -12% | 1,050 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -13% | 1,770 |
| West Virginia | $58K | -13% | 1,000 |
| Iowa | $58K | -13% | 640 |
| Indiana | $56K | -15% | 1,310 |
| South Dakota | $56K | -15% | 360 |
| Montana | $55K | -17% | 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary school salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Tucson numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a career/technical education teachers, secondary school afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tucson?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 27% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,402/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for career/technical education teachers, secondary schools in Tucson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new career/technical education teachers, secondary schools typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,785/month. At HUD’s $1,402/month FMR, rent would take 50% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is career/technical education teachers, secondary school a high-paying job in Tucson?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $80K here vs. $66K nationally.
How does Tucson compare to the national average for career/technical education teachers, secondary schools?
Tucson pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do career/technical education teachers, secondary schools make in Tucson, AZ?
The median is $79,530 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,420, and experienced career/technical education teachers, secondary schools can clear $100,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Tucson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,196/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,402/month, which eats 27% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a career/technical education teachers, secondary school salary go in Tucson?
Tucson has a Regional Price Parity of 96.9 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median career/technical education teachers, secondary school salary is worth about $82,074 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do career/technical education teachers, secondary schools 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.