Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 33% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,381/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new elementary school teachers, except special educations typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,899/month.

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 6% difference.

South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -6%.

The median is $60,000 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,310, and experienced elementary school teachers, except special educations can clear $71,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,187/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,381/month, which eats 33% 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.

South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median elementary school teachers, except special education salary is worth about $60,000 in national-average purchasing power.

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.