High paying teaching and library jobs in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Every teaching and library occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA run 11.1% above the national average (2024), so a Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

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

Find teaching jobs in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

OccupationMedian, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA · Employed

1Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$164,860
Doctoral or professional degree
$79,520 – $306,0403,870
2Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$102,920
Bachelor's degree
$67,550 – $131,99014,560
3Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$102,670
Bachelor's degree
$61,140 – $132,3007,720
4Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$102,560
Bachelor's degree
$77,630 – $131,2405,230
5Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$102,290
Bachelor's degree
$74,500 – $129,2501,270
6Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$102,180
Bachelor's degree
$77,670 – $130,4001,430
7Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$101,780
Master's degree
$80,400 – $131,0601,590
8Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$101,580
Bachelor's degree
$76,360 – $129,9402,530
9Special Education Teachers, Middle School$100,350
Bachelor's degree
$79,510 – $130,850720
10Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$100,150
Bachelor's degree
$76,640 – $130,0501,740
11Instructional Coordinators$97,130
Master's degree
$62,990 – $128,9402,930
12Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$93,540
Doctoral or professional degree
$60,840 – $161,440740
13Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$81,050
Master's degree
$57,710 – $122,790700
14Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$81,010
Bachelor's degree
$57,640 – $141,8102,070
15Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$71,630
Bachelor's degree
$56,870 – $99,650730
16Library Technicians$65,690
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,310 – $76,8601,290
17Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$60,100
Bachelor's degree
$41,000 – $92,610780
18Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$60,070
Bachelor's degree
$51,770 – $74,3407,220
19Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$53,950
Some college, no degree
$39,450 – $64,45021,040
20Self-Enrichment Teachers$48,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,920 – $82,2408,560
21Tutors$46,550
Some college, no degree
$37,440 – $58,0802,000
22Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$46,380
Associate's degree
$40,840 – $60,6208,590

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

#	Occupation	MedianSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$164,860	$79,520 – $306,040	3,870
2	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$102,920	$67,550 – $131,990	14,560
3	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$102,670	$61,140 – $132,300	7,720
4	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$102,560	$77,630 – $131,240	5,230
5	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$102,290	$74,500 – $129,250	1,270
6	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$102,180	$77,670 – $130,400	1,430
7	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$101,780	$80,400 – $131,060	1,590
8	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$101,580	$76,360 – $129,940	2,530
9	Special Education Teachers, Middle SchoolBachelor's degree	$100,350	$79,510 – $130,850	720
10	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$100,150	$76,640 – $130,050	1,740
11	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$97,130	$62,990 – $128,940	2,930
12	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$93,540	$60,840 – $161,440	740
13	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$81,050	$57,710 – $122,790	700
14	Career/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$81,010	$57,640 – $141,810	2,070
15	Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language InstructorsBachelor's degree	$71,630	$56,870 – $99,650	730
16	Library TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$65,690	$51,310 – $76,860	1,290
17	Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$60,100	$41,000 – $92,610	780
18	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$60,070	$51,770 – $74,340	7,220
19	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$53,950	$39,450 – $64,450	21,040
20	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,530	$36,920 – $82,240	8,560
21	TutorsSome college, no degree	$46,550	$37,440 – $58,080	2,000
22	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$46,380	$40,840 – $60,620	8,590

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. 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.

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

High paying teaching and library jobs in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

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