Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a high school teacher make in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?

In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, high school teachers earned a median of $102,670 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 7,720 of these jobs there. That is 41% above the $72,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $61,140 and $132,300; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $81,058 in take-home pay.

High school teacher pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA at a glance

Median salary

$102,670$8,556 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$61,140—
25th percentile$82,360—
75th percentile$127,290—
90th percentile$132,300—
Jobs in this metro7,720Location quotient 0.54 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here41% aboveAll-jobs median $72,610
Against Washingtonabout the same asStatewide median $102,670
Against the U.S.43% aboveNational median $72,040

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

High school teacher salary in Seattle-Tacoma, WA after taxes

$102,670
$40,000$210,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$102,670
Net 79%
Fed 13%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$81,058After all taxes
Monthly deposit$6,755Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,118Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate21.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$13,757 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$7,854 / yr

High school teachers pay range in Seattle-Tacoma, WA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What high school teachers earned in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile—$5,095$61,140$51,306
25th percentile—$6,863$82,360$66,770
MedianMedian—$8,556$102,670$81,058
75th percentile—$10,608$127,290$98,269
90th percentile—$11,025$132,300$101,693

Is $102,670 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for high school teachers next to both.

Median household income$115,177Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)111.111.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household89.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

High school teacher pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for high school teachers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for high school teachers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area was $102,670 in May 2025, about $8,556 a month. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $102,670, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

Is there an hourly rate for high school teachers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many high school teachers work in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

BLS estimated 7,720 jobs for high school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.54 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for high school teachers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

BLS wage estimates for high school teachers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA run from $61,140 at the 10th percentile to $82,360 at the 25th, $127,290 at the 75th, and $132,300 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do high school teachers take home after taxes in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

On a median gross salary of $102,670, an estimated $81,058 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,118 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $21,612 (an effective rate of 21%).

How much do high school teachers make per month in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

On the median annual salary of $102,670, gross monthly income is $8,556. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $6,755 per month (or $3,118 every two weeks).

Is $102,670 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

At $102,670, the median salary for high school teachers is 89.1% of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median household income ($115,177). It is 41% above the $72,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.1, so prices here run 11.1% above the U.S. average.