# Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

> Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/elementary-school-teachers-except-special-education
- SOC code: 25-2021.00
- Career family: Education
- Median annual pay: $63,970 (10th percentile $47,960, 90th percentile $104,340)
- Projected growth: Little or no change, -0.4%
- Openings a year: 87,500
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SAC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 27 |
| Investigative (I) | 39 |
| Artistic (A) | 48 |
| Social (S) | 100 |
| Enterprising (E) | 26 |
| Conventional (C) | 46 |

## What you'd do

- Training and Teaching Others (importance 87/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 79/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 78/100)
- Coaching and Developing Others (importance 77/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 77/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 75/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 73/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 72/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 72/100)
- Scheduling Work and Activities (importance 70/100)

## Skills

Instructing, Learning Strategies, Speaking, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation

## Knowledge

English Language, Education and Training, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, Computers and Electronics, Public Safety and Security, Administrative, Administration and Management

## Also called

Art Educator, Art Instructor, Art Teacher, Band Teacher, Bilingual Instructor, Bilingual Teacher, Choir Teacher, Classroom Teacher, Educator, Elementary Art Teacher

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1312) (CIP 1312, 1,830 colleges)
- [Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1313) (CIP 1313, 1,257 colleges)
- [Social Sciences, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4501) (CIP 4501, 547 colleges)
- [Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1314) (CIP 1314, 438 colleges)
- [Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1302) (CIP 1302, 189 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Vanderbilt University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/vanderbilt-university-3113) | Social Sciences, General | $74,534 | $103,229 | $15,000 |
| [New York University NYU](https://www.collegesref.com/college/new-york-university-nyu-1866) | Social Sciences, General | $51,431 | $91,917 | $21,125 |
| [California State University-Sacramento](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-sacramento-375) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $69,280 | $82,062 | $23,000 |
| [CUNY Brooklyn College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-brooklyn-college-735) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $54,793 | $80,207 | $12,875 |
| [Harvard University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/harvard-university-1157) | Social Sciences, General | $55,717 | $78,996 | $25,000 |
| [St. John's University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/st-john-s-university-new-york-2579) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | not reported | $78,215 | $25,500 |
| [CUNY Queens College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-queens-college-746) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $58,736 | $76,925 | $12,500 |
| [College of Staten Island CUNY](https://www.collegesref.com/college/college-of-staten-island-cuny-621) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $46,195 | $75,637 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/secondary-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $72,040 median pay
- [Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/middle-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $64,370 median pay
- [Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/adult-basic-education-adult-secondary-education-and-english-as-a-second-language): $61,540 median pay
- [Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/kindergarten-teachers-except-special-education): $62,680 median pay
- [Tutors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/tutors): $43,350 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Elementary School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-elementary-school): $65,120 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.