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

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in Los Angeles, CA

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $98,370 a year — 53% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $71,836 take-home, or $5,986 a month.

Median salary
$98,370
$47.29 per hour
Typical range
$62,610 – $124,720
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
12,780
0.51× national concentration
▲3.6%
Pay trend: The median for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education in Los Angeles, CA rose from $94,940 (May 2024) to $98,370 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 1.2%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Los Angeles, CA
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$71,836
per year · effective tax rate 27.0%
$5,986Monthly
$2,993Twice a month
$2,763Every 2 weeks
$34.54Hourly
  • Federal income tax$12,811
  • Social Security (6.2%)$6,099
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,426
  • California income tax$4,919
  • CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,279
  • Take-home pay$71,836

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 9.30% state

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

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education pay by experience in Los Angeles, CA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$62,610$30.10$49,867$4,156
25th percentile$75,970$36.52$58,422$4,868
Median (50th)$98,370$47.29$71,836$5,986
75th percentile$104,410$50.20$75,445$6,287
90th percentile (top earners)$124,720$59.96$87,521$7,293

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

What $98,370 buys in Los Angeles, CA

Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education's $71,836 take-home pay has the buying power of $63,255 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,245
38% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,755
46% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,741
per month for everything else

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

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education jobs are less concentrated in Los Angeles, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.51), so openings may be scarcer.

Best-paying cities for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education, adjusted for cost of living

Los Angeles, CA ranks #13 of 50 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $102,560$80,981$72,869
2Buffalo, NY $89,950$67,843$70,785
3Hartford, CT $96,030$72,680$70,738
4Bridgeport, CT $99,360$74,840$70,033
5Pittsburgh, PA $84,800$65,883$69,592
6Riverside, CA $100,810$73,294$68,858
7San Jose, CA $105,030$75,815$68,659
8Cleveland, OH $80,580$64,084$68,231
13Los Angeles, CA$98,370$71,836$63,255

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 50 metros →

About the job: middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education

Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high 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.

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education salaries elsewhere in California

Frequently asked questions

How much does a middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education make in Los Angeles, CA?

The median middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $98,370 a year, or about $47.29 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $75,970 and $104,410.

What is a middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?

On the median $98,370 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $71,836 a year ($5,986 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $6,198 in California taxes in 2026.

Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education?

Pay here is 53% above the national median of $64,370. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $63,255 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #13 of 50 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education afford rent in Los Angeles, CA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 38% of a median middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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