Highest and lowest paying education jobs in Salem
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 Salem, OR 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.
#21. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $34,890
- #202 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
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)
#20. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $35,330
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,100
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)
#19. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $38,230
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,170
- Employment: 121,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Arecibo, PR ($62,080)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($59,560)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($59,380)
#18. Tutors
- Annual mean salary: $40,780
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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. Library technicians
- Annual mean salary: $41,440
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#16. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $46,560
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#15. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Annual mean salary: $49,170
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,410
- Employment: 374,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Prescott, AZ ($64,310)
--- Appleton, WI ($63,310)
--- Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL ($58,770)
#14. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Annual mean salary: $70,120
- #89 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 800
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)
#13. Special education teachers, middle school
- Annual mean salary: $70,810
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)
#12. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Annual mean salary: $71,340
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
#11. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $73,910
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,410
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. Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $76,740
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,260
- Employment: 20,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($147,650)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($129,190)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($127,730)
#9. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Annual mean salary: $76,910
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#8. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Annual mean salary: $78,520
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
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)
#7. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Annual mean salary: $78,620
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#6. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Annual mean salary: $83,130
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
#5. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $83,220
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#4. Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $93,010
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,240
- Employment: 94,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($180,910)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($160,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($151,060)
#3. Instructional coordinators
- Annual mean salary: $93,890
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)
#2. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $108,350
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
#1. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $111,670
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,980
- Employment: 44,140
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($157,340)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($149,220)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($138,090)