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

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in San Francisco, CA

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn a median $81,100 a year — 26% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $61,517 take-home, or $5,126 a month.

Median salary
$81,100
$38.99 per hour
Typical range
$56,890 – $139,030
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in San Francisco, CA
4,310
0.45× national concentration
▼0.2%
Pay trend: The median for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education in San Francisco, CA fell from $81,240 (May 2024) to $81,100 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 2.6%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

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

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

Your take-home pay
$61,517
per year · effective tax rate 24.1%
$5,126Monthly
$2,563Twice a month
$2,366Every 2 weeks
$29.58Hourly
  • Federal income tax$9,012
  • Social Security (6.2%)$5,028
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,176
  • California income tax$3,313
  • CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,054
  • Take-home pay$61,517

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 San Francisco, CA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$56,890$27.35$45,689$3,807
25th percentile$63,070$30.32$50,203$4,184
Median (50th)$81,100$38.99$61,517$5,126
75th percentile$120,870$58.11$85,279$7,107
90th percentile (top earners)$139,030$66.84$95,785$7,982

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

What $81,100 buys in San Francisco, CA

Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.95× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education's $61,517 take-home pay has the buying power of $53,209 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,620
51% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$3,187
62% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$2,506
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 San Francisco, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.45), so openings may be scarcer.

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

San Francisco, CA ranks #33 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
33San Francisco, CA$81,100$61,517$53,209

*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 San Francisco, CA?

The median middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education salary in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area is $81,100 a year, or about $38.99 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $63,070 and $120,870.

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

On the median $81,100 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $61,517 a year ($5,126 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $4,367 in California taxes in 2026.

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

Pay here is 26% above the national median of $64,370. Local prices are 15.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $53,209 would in a typical U.S. city. San Francisco, CA ranks #33 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 San Francisco, CA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Francisco, CA is $2,620 a month ($3,187 for two bedrooms) — 51% 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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