Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education Salary in Memphis, TN

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area earn a median $61,510 a year — 4% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $51,603 take-home, or $4,300 a month.

Median salary
$61,510
$29.57 per hour
Typical range
$48,160 – $76,630
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Memphis, TN
5,410
0.99× national concentration
▲6.5%
Pay trend: The median for elementary school teachers, except special education in Memphis, TN rose from $57,750 (May 2024) to $61,510 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 4.1%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median elementary school teachers, except special education salary in Memphis, TN. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in Memphis, TN
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$51,603
per year · effective tax rate 16.1%
$4,300Monthly
$2,150Twice a month
$1,985Every 2 weeks
$24.81Hourly
  • Federal income tax$5,201
  • Social Security (6.2%)$3,814
  • Medicare (1.45%)$892
  • Tennessee income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$51,603

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro spans Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay by experience in Memphis, TN

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$48,160$23.15$40,877$3,406
25th percentile$52,680$25.33$44,508$3,709
Median (50th)$61,510$29.57$51,603$4,300
75th percentile$64,590$31.05$54,078$4,507
90th percentile (top earners)$76,630$36.84$62,739$5,228

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Tennessee resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $61,510 buys in Memphis, TN

Prices in Memphis, TN are 7.8% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 20% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median elementary school teachers, except special education's $51,603 take-home pay has the buying power of $55,982 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,137
26% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,263
29% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,163
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education jobs are about as common in Memphis, TN as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.99).

Best-paying cities for elementary school teachers, except special education, adjusted for cost of living

Memphis, TN ranks #45 of 99 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $102,920$81,234$73,096
2Visalia, CA $98,430$71,872$71,998
3Modesto, CA $101,640$73,789$70,878
4Sacramento, CA $103,390$74,835$70,156
5Bridgeport, CT $98,600$74,347$69,572
6Dayton, OH $80,360$63,936$68,975
7Stockton, CA $97,400$71,256$67,805
8Riverside, CA $98,520$71,925$67,572
45Memphis, TN$61,510$51,603$55,982

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 99 metros →

About the job: elementary school teachers, except special education

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

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
-0.4% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education salaries elsewhere in Tennessee

Frequently asked questions

How much does a elementary school teachers, except special education make in Memphis, TN?

The median elementary school teachers, except special education salary in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area is $61,510 a year, or about $29.57 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $52,680 and $64,590.

What is a elementary school teachers, except special education’s take-home pay in Memphis, TN?

On the median $61,510 salary, a single filer living in Tennessee takes home about $51,603 a year ($4,300 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Memphis, TN a good place to work as a elementary school teachers, except special education?

Pay here is 4% below the national median of $63,970. Local prices are 7.8% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $55,982 would in a typical U.S. city. Memphis, TN ranks #45 of 99 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a elementary school teachers, except special education afford rent in Memphis, TN?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Memphis, TN is $1,137 a month ($1,263 for two bedrooms) — 26% of a median elementary school teachers, except special education’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Related jobs in Memphis, TN

Cost of living & all salaries in Memphis, TN →