Lowest published bachelor’s starting pay → highest published maximum across degree lanes in the districts below. Years and eligibility vary.
Average salary
$96,589NEA 2024-25
Starting salary
$60,658NEA 2024-25
State minimum
Not publishedSee state terms
Districts sourced
10Official schedules
Washington teachers averaged $96,589 in 2024-25 per NEA, third-highest in the country, and the average starting salary was $60,658.
Washington teachers averaged $96,589 in 2024-25 per NEA, third-highest in the country, and the average starting salary was $60,658. Pay is set district by district through union contracts. Among the ten largest districts, current base pay (2026-27, or 2025-26 in Puyallup) for a new teacher with a bachelor's runs from $57,558 in Spokane to $72,212 in Tacoma, and top base salaries for the most-educated lanes range from about $112,000 to $142,000. Most districts also pay responsibility, TRI or extra-day stipends on top of base, which pushes total pay higher.
Kent School District · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Puyallup School District · 2025-26 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Federal Way Public Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Lake Washington School District · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Evergreen Public Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Northshore School District · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Spokane Public Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Vancouver Public Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Step
Bachelor’s
Master’s
0
$59,403
$71,221
1
$60,205
$72,014
2
$60,966
$72,809
3
$61,751
$73,567
4
$62,521
$74,357
5
$63,317
$75,164
6
$64,135
$75,988
7
$65,571
$77,534
8
$67,673
$79,965
9
$67,673
$82,423
10
$67,673
$85,011
11
$67,673
$87,670
12
$67,673
$90,438
13
$67,673
$93,300
14
$67,673
$96,247
15
$67,673
$98,751
16
$67,673
$100,725
District pay rankings.
Ranked by highest published maximum across degree lanes. Annual base pay, by education level. Years and contract terms can differ; open each schedule before comparing.
Select a column heading to sort. Scroll the table horizontally for more columns. Missing values are marked “Not published”.
Largest districts included in this guide, sorted by published top pay. Starting pay is the bachelor’s entry rate; top pay is the highest published maximum across degree lanes.
━ Bachelor’s start▨ Top pay · all degree lanes
Tacoma Public Schools2026-27
BA start $72,212
Top $144,309
Kent School District2026-27
BA start $70,541
Top $137,889
Puyallup School District2025-26
BA start $66,746
Top $129,582
Seattle Public Schools2026-27
BA start $64,758
Top $124,794
Federal Way Public Schools2026-27
BA start $66,153
Top $124,661
Lake Washington School District2026-27
BA start $63,496
Top $122,084
Evergreen Public Schools2026-27
BA start $66,188
Top $121,740
Northshore School District2026-27
BA start $61,834
Top $118,594
Spokane Public Schools2026-27
BA start $57,558
Top $114,694
Vancouver Public Schools2026-27
BA start $59,403
Top $111,969
Annual base salary on a shared zero-based scale. Top pay can require advanced qualifications and many years of service. Missing values are not zero.View district chart data
Published district pay
District
Year
BA start
Top pay
Tacoma Public Schools
2026-27
$72,212
$144,309
Kent School District
2026-27
$70,541
$137,889
Puyallup School District
2025-26
$66,746
$129,582
Seattle Public Schools
2026-27
$64,758
$124,794
Federal Way Public Schools
2026-27
$66,153
$124,661
Lake Washington School District
2026-27
$63,496
$122,084
Evergreen Public Schools
2026-27
$66,188
$121,740
Northshore School District
2026-27
$61,834
$118,594
Spokane Public Schools
2026-27
$57,558
$114,694
Vancouver Public Schools
2026-27
$59,403
$111,969
Experience & progression
How pay grows by step
Bachelor’s lane · 5 districts with numeric step data
Seattle Public Schools2026-27
Lake Washington School District2026-27
Spokane Public Schools2026-27
Tacoma Public Schools2026-27
Kent School District2026-27
Lines connect published observations, not estimated salaries for missing steps. A step is not always a year of service. District placement rules and schedule years vary.View step progression data
Average pay describes the workforce; a minimum is a floor subject to state rules. These measures can cover different years and are not equivalent starting offers.View salary context data
State and national salary measures
Measure
Amount
Context
Washington average
$96,589
NEA 2024-25
State minimum
Not published
See state minimum terms below
National average
$74,495
Reporting year not published
State minimum salary
Washington has no single printed statewide minimum salary schedule. RCW 28A.400.200(2)(c) sets the floor for full-time certificated instructional staff at $40,000, adjusted for regional differences (RCW 28A.150.410) and annually for inflation (RCW 28A.400.205), and requires staff with five or more years to earn at least 10% above that floor. The current inflation-adjusted dollar figure was not confirmed on an official page, so it is left null. NEA average salary is FY 2024-25 (Rankings & Estimates, August 2026); starting salary is the NEA Teacher Salary Benchmark, FY 2024-25. District enrollment is OSPI's 2025-26 final Report Card enrollment.
Match the school year, degree lane and credited experience. The published maximum is not a promise of starting placement. Confirm contract days, supplements and eligibility in each district’s official schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find Washington district salary schedules?
Use the district comparison table on this page to open a district guide and its official salary schedule. Each source is linked with a verification date.
Does a master’s degree change the salary?
Check the master’s lane in the district’s published schedule. Degree supplements and placement rules vary; a missing value here does not mean there is no additional pay.
