Highest and lowest paying education jobs in Boulder
Whether you picture hard-working teachers buying school supplies for their students or genius professors shaping future leaders, it's fair to say education encompasses a wide variety of jobs. So much so that there's room to specialize and pursue your passion.
Historically, teachers' pay is a rather contentious topic. The average teacher salary is about $2,000 less than a decade ago after adjusting for inflation. Despite this, many of these jobs are rewarding in more ways than one. In other words, education can be very lucrative—particularly within specialty fields.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying education jobs in Boulder, CO using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage. Keep reading to discover the highest and lowest paying education jobs in your city.
#22. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $36,510
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,210
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,760
- Employment: 1,187,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($46,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($42,820)
#21. Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
- Annual mean salary: $40,630
- #180 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,650
- Employment: 38,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($96,640)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,290)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,740)
#20. Library technicians
- Annual mean salary: $42,030
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,070
- Employment: 73,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($61,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,950)
--- Napa, CA ($57,890)
#19. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $42,710
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,460
- Employment: 391,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($49,990)
--- Ocean City, NJ ($49,720)
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($49,560)
#18. Tutors
- Annual mean salary: $43,480
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,780
- Employment: 147,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Pittsfield, MA ($82,910)
--- Santa Fe, NM ($68,440)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($60,110)
#17. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $45,810
- #113 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 690
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,230
- Employment: 216,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)
#16. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $52,690
- #258 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,130
- Employment: 105,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($116,850)
--- Champaign-Urbana, IL ($97,110)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($95,200)
#15. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $55,790
- #159 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $76,990
- Employment: 58,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($119,140)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($112,130)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($110,160)
#14. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $67,390
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $89,610
- Employment: 37,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($152,280)
--- Auburn-Opelika, AL ($145,360)
--- Tuscaloosa, AL ($144,170)
#13. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $68,430
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,490
- Employment: 120,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($95,420)
--- Kingston, NY ($92,160)
--- Salinas, CA ($90,490)
#12. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Annual mean salary: $68,990
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,090
- Employment: 187,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($102,210)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,730)
--- Chico, CA ($88,430)
#11. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $69,010
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,690
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,080
- Employment: 1,329,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,860)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($91,430)
--- Salinas, CA ($91,280)
#10. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Annual mean salary: $69,420
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,880
- Employment: 592,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bakersfield, CA ($109,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($107,280)
--- Yuba City, CA ($94,480)
#9. Special education teachers, middle school
- Annual mean salary: $70,390
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,860
- Employment: 79,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($117,940)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($94,630)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($94,140)
#8. Special education teachers, preschool
- Annual mean salary: $70,420
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,970
- Employment: 21,130
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($101,190)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($100,010)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($97,900)
#7. Career/technical education teachers, middle school
- Annual mean salary: $71,520
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,410
- Employment: 11,840
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($139,720)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,750)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,790)
#6. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Annual mean salary: $71,700
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,090
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,530
- Employment: 1,020,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,010)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($101,980)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($97,490)
#5. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Annual mean salary: $72,960
- #71 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,100
- Employment: 145,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($110,320)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($106,590)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($103,540)
#4. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Annual mean salary: $73,990
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,180
- Employment: 127,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($94,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,990)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($89,220)
#3. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $76,010
- #184 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,720
- Employment: 79,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Auburn-Opelika, AL ($175,640)
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($175,080)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($154,600)
#2. Instructional coordinators
- Annual mean salary: $80,040
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,560
- Employment: 184,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salem, OR ($93,890)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($93,760)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,430)
#1. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $122,660
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $133,310
- Employment: 191,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($226,440)
--- Jackson, MS ($202,690)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($183,250)