Geography Teachers, Postsecondary Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $146K, rent takes 29.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new geography teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $70K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,225/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Local pay is 50% above the national median — $146K here vs. $98K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.

California pays $146K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s +50%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $138K — still ahead of the national median.

The median is $146,040 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $70,410, and experienced geography teachers, postsecondaries can clear $250,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,404/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 29.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (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 geography teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $137,592 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.