Elementary School Teachers salary in New Orleans, LA
Median pay for elementary school teachers in New Orleans, LA: $53,270/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $48,560 – $66,720 · about 5,850 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($62,430) by −$9,160 (-15%).
What it's really worth in New Orleans
With New Orleans's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $53,270 has the buying power of about $58,414 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $62,748 · median home $261,414 · median rent $1,622/mo.
How New Orleans ranks for this job
On raw pay, New Orleans, LA is 144th of the 187 metros we hold elementary school teachers wages for. Once New Orleans's cost of living is applied, it ranks 146th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so New Orleans sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in New Orleans
A median home in New Orleans, LA costs $261,414 — about 4.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,622/mo works out at 37% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where elementary school teachers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to New Orleans.
| Metro | Median pay | vs New Orleans | Rent vs New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $105,090 | +97% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,440 | +94% | 2× |
| Oxnard, CA | $103,350 | +94% | 1.8× |
| Modesto, CA | $101,210 | +90% | 1.3× |
Same job elsewhere in LA
| Metro | Median pay | vs New Orleans | Rent vs New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shreveport, LA | $60,730 | +14% | 0.8× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $52,740 | −1% | 0.9× |
| Lafayette, LA | $50,630 | −5% | 0.8× |
Staying in LA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires elementary school teachers around New Orleans
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Tulane University · Education
- Xavier University of Louisiana · Education
Other jobs in New Orleans
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.