2026-27 · State salary guide
Washington teacher salary schedules 2026-27
- 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.
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Compare district salaries
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. — means not supplied.
10 districts shown
The district picture
Starting pay to top pay
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.
View district chart data
| 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
View step progression data
| District | Step | Annual pay |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Public Schools | 1 | $64,758 |
| Seattle Public Schools | 2 | $64,896 |
| Seattle Public Schools | 3 | $65,027 |
| Seattle Public Schools | 4 | $65,514 |
| Seattle Public Schools | 5 | $66,006 |
| Seattle Public Schools | 6 | $67,870 |
| Lake Washington School District | 0 | $63,496 |
| Lake Washington School District | 1 | $64,745 |
| Lake Washington School District | 2 | $66,017 |
| Lake Washington School District | 3 | $67,321 |
| Lake Washington School District | 4 | $68,648 |
| Lake Washington School District | 5 | $70,000 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 0 | $57,558 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 1 | $59,399 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 2 | $61,301 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 3 | $63,262 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 4 | $65,287 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 5 | $67,376 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 6 | $69,532 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 7 | $71,758 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 8 | $74,054 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 1 | $72,212 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 2 | $72,883 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 3 | $73,989 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 4 | $75,761 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 5 | $78,238 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 6 | $80,698 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 7 | $83,925 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 8 | $86,304 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 9 | $89,492 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 10 | $92,695 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 11 | $95,885 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 12 | $99,081 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 13 | $99,081 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 14 | $99,081 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 15 | $99,081 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 16 | $99,081 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 17 | $99,081 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 18 | $99,081 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 19 | $99,081 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 20 | $104,036 |
| Kent School District | 0 | $70,541 |
| Kent School District | 1 | $71,451 |
| Kent School District | 2 | $72,317 |
| Kent School District | 3 | $73,215 |
| Kent School District | 4 | $74,088 |
| Kent School District | 5 | $74,997 |
| Kent School District | 6 | $75,924 |
| Kent School District | 7 | $77,563 |
| Kent School District | 8 | $79,955 |
The wider picture
Salary in context
View salary context data
| 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.
Read the state minimum source ↗Before you compare offers
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.
Sources and last checked
- Educator Pay and Student Spending: How Does Your State Rank? · National Education Association
- RCW 28A.400.200 Salaries and compensation for employees · Washington State Legislature
- Report Card Enrollment 2025-26 School Year · Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
- Seattle Public Schools 2026-27 certificated salary schedule · Seattle Public Schools
- Lake Washington School District 2026-27 certificated salary schedule · Lake Washington School District
- Spokane Public Schools 2026-27 certificated salary schedule · Spokane Public Schools
- Tacoma Public Schools 2026-27 certificated salary schedule · Tacoma Public Schools
- Kent School District 2026-27 certificated salary schedule · Kent School District
- Puyallup School District 2025-26 certificated salary schedule · Puyallup School District
- Northshore School District 2026-27 certificated salary schedule · Northshore School District
- Federal Way Public Schools 2026-27 certificated salary schedule · Federal Way Public Schools
- Vancouver Public Schools 2026-27 certificated salary schedule · Vancouver Public Schools
- Evergreen Public Schools 2026-27 certificated salary schedule · Evergreen Public Schools
- Seattle Public Schools: source · Seattle Public Schools
- Lake Washington School District: source · Lake Washington School District
- Spokane Public Schools: source · Spokane Public Schools
- Tacoma Public Schools: source · Tacoma Public Schools
- Kent School District: source · Kent School District
- Puyallup School District: source · Puyallup School District
- Northshore School District: source · Northshore School District
- Federal Way Public Schools: source · Federal Way Public Schools
- Vancouver Public Schools: source · Vancouver Public Schools
- Evergreen Public Schools: source · Evergreen Public Schools
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