Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Salary
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY make a median of $60,570 a year. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $92K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.69), which stretches that salary to about $69,073 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,405/month, about 35.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Watertown-Fort Drum’s Regional Price Parity (87.69). 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 Watertown-Fort Drum
Career/technical education teachers, secondary school pay in Watertown-Fort Drum tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $66K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,405/month, which is 35.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.69 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $100K | $89K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $78K | $79K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $79K | $82K |
| Rochester | $66K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Entry-level career/technical education teachers, secondary schools (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $92K or more, a $40K 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 Watertown-Fort Drum numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a career/technical education teachers, secondary school afford a 2BR apartment alone in Watertown-Fort Drum?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 35.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,405/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for career/technical education teachers, secondary schools in Watertown-Fort Drum?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new career/technical education teachers, secondary schools typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,131/month. At HUD’s $1,405/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $66K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Watertown-Fort Drum compare to the national average for career/technical education teachers, secondary schools?
Watertown-Fort Drum pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do career/technical education teachers, secondary schools make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?
The median is $60,570 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,190, and experienced career/technical education teachers, secondary schools can clear $92,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Watertown-Fort Drum?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,998/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,405/month, which eats 35.1% 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary school salary go in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Watertown-Fort Drum has a Regional Price Parity of 87.69 (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 $69,073 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.