Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary
The median pay for a middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY is $89,950/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.84), that's roughly $93,854 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,423/month, or 25.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $90K actually covers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Buffalo-Cheektowaga’s Regional Price Parity (95.84). 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 middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations
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What this looks like in Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Buffalo-Cheektowaga sits well above the national pay line for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education, local pay runs about 40% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. Rent runs $1,423/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.84) 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 middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations in metros near Buffalo-Cheektowaga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $97K | $86K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $98K | $89K |
| Rochester | $76K | $78K |
| Syracuse | $79K | $82K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Entry-level middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $90K. Top earners bring in $107K or more, a $58K spread from bottom to top.
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $102K | +59% | 10,510 |
| California | $99K | +54% | 37,300 |
| New York | $95K | +47% | 38,670 |
| Connecticut | $94K | +45% | 7,920 |
| Rhode Island | $93K | +44% | 2,370 |
| Massachusetts | $89K | +39% | 16,570 |
| District of Columbia | $80K | +24% | 1,540 |
| Utah | $79K | +23% | 5,960 |
| Alaska | $79K | +23% | 1,150 |
| New Jersey | $79K | +22% | 23,650 |
| Maryland | $79K | +22% | 14,530 |
| Oregon | $78K | +22% | 6,940 |
| Pennsylvania | $78K | +21% | 22,720 |
| Ohio | $77K | +20% | 30,450 |
| Illinois | $76K | +18% | 24,770 |
| New Mexico | $75K | +17% | 4,260 |
| Vermont | $74K | +15% | 1,620 |
| New Hampshire | $71K | +11% | 3,120 |
| Hawaii | $69K | +8% | 2,480 |
| Delaware | $68K | +5% | 2,350 |
| Nevada | $66K | +3% | 3,910 |
| Georgia | $65K | +1% | 23,610 |
| Michigan | $64K | -1% | 15,420 |
| Colorado | $64K | -1% | 13,280 |
| Maine | $64K | -1% | 2,780 |
| Virginia | $64K | -1% | 18,290 |
| Texas | $63K | -2% | 80,160 |
| Minnesota | $63K | -3% | 8,890 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -3% | 4,150 |
| Wyoming | $62K | -3% | 1,290 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | -4% | 14,460 |
| Alabama | $62K | -4% | 10,000 |
| Montana | $62K | -4% | 1,980 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -5% | 8,040 |
| Idaho | $61K | -5% | 2,360 |
| South Carolina | $61K | -6% | 9,750 |
| Indiana | $61K | -6% | 11,700 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -6% | 13,060 |
| Kansas | $61K | -6% | 6,230 |
| Iowa | $60K | -6% | 6,270 |
| North Dakota | $60K | -7% | 1,400 |
| Arizona | $60K | -7% | 9,020 |
| Arkansas | $60K | -7% | 6,140 |
| Missouri | $59K | -8% | 11,330 |
| Florida | $59K | -8% | 31,370 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -9% | 5,560 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -11% | 4,090 |
| North Carolina | $52K | -19% | 20,650 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -21% | 2,130 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -21% | 6,260 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -25% | 7,620 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education afford a 2BR apartment alone in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Yes — at the median salary of $90K, rent takes 25.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,423/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,269/month. At HUD’s $1,423/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education a high-paying job in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Local pay is 40% above the national median — $90K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Buffalo-Cheektowaga compare to the national average for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays $90K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +40%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $94K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations make in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
The median is $89,950 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,880, and experienced middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations can clear $107,250. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $90K enough to live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,610/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,423/month, which eats 25.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education salary go in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga has a Regional Price Parity of 95.84 (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 middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education salary is worth about $93,854 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations 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.