High paying teaching and library jobs in California

Every teaching and library occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in California. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single teaching and library job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in California run 10.7% above the national average (2024), so a California salary is worth about 0.90× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in California.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find teaching jobs in California

OccupationMedian, California · Employed

1Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$165,110
Doctoral or professional degree
$65,510 – $381,56017,350
2Law Teachers, Postsecondary$119,540
Doctoral or professional degree
$72,850 – $284,3507,800
3Special Education Teachers, All Other$103,050
Bachelor's degree
$64,830 – $126,2108,920
4Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$101,370
Bachelor's degree
$64,600 – $132,60099,230
5Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$101,060
Bachelor's degree
$63,390 – $131,60012,100
6Postsecondary Teachers, All Other$100,690
Doctoral or professional degree
$53,830 – $175,95037,770
7Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$99,650
Bachelor's degree
$61,940 – $127,070155,160
8Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$99,410
Master's degree
$60,420 – $202,7409,820
9Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$98,950
Bachelor's degree
$62,410 – $129,50037,300
10Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$97,170
Bachelor's degree
$63,180 – $123,59023,280
11Instructional Coordinators$97,010
Master's degree
$50,740 – $152,26020,950
12Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$89,790
Master's degree
$50,750 – $132,87010,180
13Teachers and Instructors, All Other$87,460
Bachelor's degree
$47,680 – $129,12031,010
14Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$82,550
Bachelor's degree
$53,210 – $124,4007,430
15Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$76,630
Bachelor's degree
$45,800 – $168,68011,040
16Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$64,100
Bachelor's degree
$34,320 – $130,03039,440
17Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$60,300
Bachelor's degree
$39,040 – $78,670115,660
18Library Technicians$53,260
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,260 – $76,8807,190
19Self-Enrichment Teachers$49,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,850 – $102,72060,260
20Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary$49,140
Bachelor's degree
$35,460 – $77,44019,120
21Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$47,400
Associate's degree
$37,870 – $65,35055,700
22Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$46,490
Some college, no degree
$37,240 – $59,520177,140
23Tutors$45,100
Some college, no degree
$35,550 – $63,79045,370

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianCalifornia	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$165,110	$65,510 – $381,560	17,350
2	Law Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$119,540	$72,850 – $284,350	7,800
3	Special Education Teachers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$103,050	$64,830 – $126,210	8,920
4	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$101,370	$64,600 – $132,600	99,230
5	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$101,060	$63,390 – $131,600	12,100
6	Postsecondary Teachers, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$100,690	$53,830 – $175,950	37,770
7	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$99,650	$61,940 – $127,070	155,160
8	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$99,410	$60,420 – $202,740	9,820
9	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$98,950	$62,410 – $129,500	37,300
10	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$97,170	$63,180 – $123,590	23,280
11	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$97,010	$50,740 – $152,260	20,950
12	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$89,790	$50,750 – $132,870	10,180
13	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$87,460	$47,680 – $129,120	31,010
14	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$82,550	$53,210 – $124,400	7,430
15	Career/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$76,630	$45,800 – $168,680	11,040
16	Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$64,100	$34,320 – $130,030	39,440
17	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$60,300	$39,040 – $78,670	115,660
18	Library TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$53,260	$40,260 – $76,880	7,190
19	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,570	$36,850 – $102,720	60,260
20	Teaching Assistants, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$49,140	$35,460 – $77,440	19,120
21	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$47,400	$37,870 – $65,350	55,700
22	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$46,490	$37,240 – $59,520	177,140
23	TutorsSome college, no degree	$45,100	$35,550 – $63,790	45,370

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in California. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for California

Metro areas in California

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in California

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in California to rank honestly.

High paying teaching and library jobs in California

More for California

Metro areas in California

By field in California

Without a degree

High paying teaching and library jobs in each state