Elementary School Teachers salary in Philadelphia, PA
Median pay for elementary school teachers in Philadelphia, PA: $79,290/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $50,100 – $102,880 · about 25,680 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($62,430) by +$16,860 (+27%).
What it's really worth in Philadelphia
With Philadelphia's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $79,290 has the buying power of about $77,460 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $85,555 · median home $390,463 · median rent $1,914/mo.
How Philadelphia ranks for this job
On raw pay, Philadelphia, PA is 36th of the 187 metros we hold elementary school teachers wages for. Once Philadelphia's cost of living is applied, it ranks 41st.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Philadelphia sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Philadelphia
A median home in Philadelphia, PA costs $390,463 — 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 $1,914/mo works out at 29% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
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 Philadelphia.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Philadelphia | Rent vs Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $105,090 | +33% | 1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,440 | +30% | 1.7× |
| Oxnard, CA | $103,350 | +30% | 1.6× |
| Modesto, CA | $101,210 | +28% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in PA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Philadelphia | Rent vs Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown, PA | $81,560 | +3% | 1× |
| York, PA | $76,890 | −3% | 0.7× |
| Reading, PA | $76,810 | −3% | 0.8× |
| Lancaster, PA | $73,960 | −7% | 0.8× |
Staying in PA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires elementary school teachers around Philadelphia
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- University of Pennsylvania · Education
Other jobs in Philadelphia
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.