Teacher Salary in Arizona
What teachers earn across Arizona, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $57,796
- Median hourly wage
- Not published
- Top 10% earn
- $85,265
- Kept after costs
- $13,709
Pay range
Half of Arizona's 54,450 teachers earn more than $57,796 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $66,847.
- BLS publishes an annual salary only for this job; school staff are paid for the school year.
Pay over time
In Arizona, teacher pay rose 40% from 2015 to 2025, or 3% after inflation.
Yearly figures, 2015 to 2025
| May | Median pay | In 2025 dollars | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $41,424 | $56,267 | $55,843 |
| 2016 | $42,819 | $57,437 | $56,731 |
| 2017 | $44,284 | $58,163 | $57,949 |
| 2018 | $44,581 | $57,157 | $59,019 |
| 2019 | $45,845 | $57,732 | $60,335 |
| 2020 | $47,444 | $59,017 | $61,561 |
| 2021 | $48,447 | $57,561 | $61,530 |
| 2022 | $51,534 | $56,691 | $61,943 |
| 2023 | $55,421 | $58,557 | $64,326 |
| 2024 | $56,082 | $57,558 | $63,245 |
| 2025 | $57,796 | $57,796 | $66,847 |
BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.
What a teacher keeps in Arizona
The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $57,796
- Federal income tax
- −$4,756
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,421
- State income tax
- −$1,236
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$16,332
- Everyday costs
- −$17,342
a year, or $1,142 a month
Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.
At three pay levels
Half of teachers in Arizona earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.
| Pay level | Salary | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-paid (25th percentile) | $48,927 | $6,805 |
| Typical (median) | $57,796 | $13,709 |
| Higher-paid (75th percentile) | $64,427 | $18,871 |
Compare cities in Arizona
Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a teacher keeps in each Arizona city we cover, using local pay and rent.
| City | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Glendale | $59,704 | $14,499 |
| Mesa | $59,704 | $13,959 |
| Phoenix | $59,704 | $13,791 |
| Tucson | $50,135 | $11,056 |
| Chandler | $59,704 | $10,323 |
| Scottsdale | $59,704 | $8,895 |
| Gilbert | $59,704 | $8,487 |
Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Try a city with your own salary
- Median salary
- $59,704
- Federal income tax
- −$4,984
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,567
- State income tax
- −$1,284
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$16,980
- Everyday costs
- −$17,390
a year, or $1,208 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.
Teacher pay in other states
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Arizona comes 46 of 51. The ten states where a teacher keeps the most:
- Washington$40,675
- Ohio$32,802
- Rhode Island$32,178
- Alaska$31,099
- New Mexico$30,023
- Pennsylvania$28,026
- Utah$27,549
- California$26,532
- Massachusetts$25,082
- Wyoming$24,738
- Arizona$13,709
Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.
Teacher salary by state
Pay and what's kept for teachers in every other state we cover, A–Z.
Other jobs in Arizona
The 10 jobs closest to a teacher in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.
| Job | You keep |
|---|---|
| HVAC technician$1,249 more | $14,958 |
| Firefighter$1,155 more | $14,864 |
| Paramedic$626 more | $14,335 |
| Carpenter$610 more | $14,319 |
| Truck driver$221 more | $13,930 |
| Welder$1,709 less | $12,000 |
| Social worker$4,373 less | $9,336 |
| Auto mechanic$6,404 less | $7,305 |
| Dental assistant$6,848 less | $6,861 |
| Pharmacy technician$7,906 less | $5,803 |
Moving for a job?
Questions people ask
How much does a teacher make in Arizona?
The median teacher salary in Arizona is $57,796 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $45,078 and the top 10% earn over $85,265 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What does a teacher take home in Arizona?
On the median salary, a teacher in Arizona pays about $10,413 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $13,709 a year.
Where in Arizona do teachers keep the most?
Of the Arizona cities we cover, teachers keep the most in Glendale: a median salary of $59,704 and a $1,415 1-bedroom leave $14,499 a year after taxes and everyday costs.
Which states are best for teachers after costs?
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Arizona comes 46 of 51. The top states are Washington ($40,675), Ohio ($32,802), Rhode Island ($32,178).
Do teachers in Arizona earn more than the US average?
No. The Arizona median of $57,796 is $9,051 below the US median of $66,847.
Sources and method
Occupation codes (SOC): 25-2021, 25-2022, 25-2031. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate