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

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in Seattle, WA

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median $102,560 a year — 59% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $80,981 take-home, or $6,748 a month.

Median salary
$102,560
$49.31 per hour
Typical range
$77,630 – $131,240
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Seattle, WA
5,230
0.63× national concentration
▲2.9%
Pay trend: The median for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education in Seattle, WA rose from $99,710 (May 2024) to $102,560 (May 2025). That roughly kept pace with inflation (2.4%).

Take-home pay calculator

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

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Seattle, WA
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$80,981
per year · effective tax rate 21.0%
$6,748Monthly
$3,374Twice a month
$3,115Every 2 weeks
$38.93Hourly
  • Federal income tax$13,733
  • Social Security (6.2%)$6,359
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,487
  • Washington income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$80,981

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% 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 Seattle, WA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$77,630$37.32$63,443$5,287
25th percentile$81,890$39.37$66,440$5,537
Median (50th)$102,560$49.31$80,981$6,748
75th percentile$126,860$60.99$97,975$8,165
90th percentile (top earners)$131,240$63.10$100,969$8,414

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

What $102,560 buys in Seattle, WA

Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.51× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education's $80,981 take-home pay has the buying power of $72,869 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,022
30% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,379
35% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$4,726
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 Seattle, WA than nationally (location quotient 0.63), so openings may be scarcer.

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

Seattle, WA ranks #1 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

*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.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education make in Seattle, WA?

The median middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education salary in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area is $102,560 a year, or about $49.31 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $81,890 and $126,860.

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

On the median $102,560 salary, a single filer living in Washington takes home about $80,981 a year ($6,748 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Seattle, WA a good place to work as a middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education?

Pay here is 59% above the national median of $64,370. Local prices are 11.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $72,869 would in a typical U.S. city. Seattle, WA ranks #1 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 Seattle, WA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Seattle, WA is $2,022 a month ($2,379 for two bedrooms) — 30% 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%.

Related jobs in Seattle, WA

Cost of living & all salaries in Seattle, WA →