High paying teaching and library jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Every teaching and library occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run 8.9% above the national average (2024), so a Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV salary is worth about 0.92× 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

OccupationMedian, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · Employed

1Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$135,670
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,310 – $306,3902,560
2Business Teachers, Postsecondary$128,370
Doctoral or professional degree
$50,830 – $265,9401,590
3Instructional Coordinators$105,220
Master's degree
$53,980 – $156,4305,190
4Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary$102,310
Doctoral or professional degree
$63,270 – $167,8601,480
5Postsecondary Teachers, All Other$99,240
Doctoral or professional degree
$50,190 – $164,0903,020
6Teachers and Instructors, All Other$97,920
Bachelor's degree
$46,780 – $142,2603,730
7Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$95,480
Master's degree
$62,290 – $126,6603,630
8Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$85,000
Bachelor's degree
$61,710 – $123,1203,930
9English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$82,080
Doctoral or professional degree
$47,490 – $140,9401,030
10Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$81,120
Bachelor's degree
$61,990 – $118,1501,360
11Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$80,300
Bachelor's degree
$57,290 – $117,16020,400
12Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$80,190
Master's degree
$49,170 – $130,5601,200
13Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$79,880
Bachelor's degree
$61,770 – $122,6205,110
14Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$79,470
Bachelor's degree
$60,790 – $122,58030,940
15Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$77,350
Bachelor's degree
$53,210 – $119,81014,890
16Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$77,200
Bachelor's degree
$56,590 – $107,1002,400
17Special Education Teachers, Middle School$77,050
Bachelor's degree
$59,120 – $122,7102,540
18Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$59,970
Bachelor's degree
$36,200 – $107,9801,020
19Self-Enrichment Teachers$59,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,380 – $105,5407,470
20Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary$58,330
Bachelor's degree
$52,930 – $75,9804,290
21Library Technicians$57,290
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,410 – $77,8802,060
22Tutors$48,730
Some college, no degree
$29,900 – $104,0003,080
23Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$46,470
Bachelor's degree
$35,620 – $53,54015,060
24Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$46,200
Some college, no degree
$34,470 – $61,88025,050
25Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$44,660
Associate's degree
$35,430 – $77,65011,910

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

#	Occupation	MedianWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$135,670	$62,310 – $306,390	2,560
2	Business Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$128,370	$50,830 – $265,940	1,590
3	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$105,220	$53,980 – $156,430	5,190
4	Political Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$102,310	$63,270 – $167,860	1,480
5	Postsecondary Teachers, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$99,240	$50,190 – $164,090	3,020
6	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$97,920	$46,780 – $142,260	3,730
7	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$95,480	$62,290 – $126,660	3,630
8	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$85,000	$61,710 – $123,120	3,930
9	English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$82,080	$47,490 – $140,940	1,030
10	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$81,120	$61,990 – $118,150	1,360
11	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$80,300	$57,290 – $117,160	20,400
12	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$80,190	$49,170 – $130,560	1,200
13	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$79,880	$61,770 – $122,620	5,110
14	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$79,470	$60,790 – $122,580	30,940
15	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$77,350	$53,210 – $119,810	14,890
16	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$77,200	$56,590 – $107,100	2,400
17	Special Education Teachers, Middle SchoolBachelor's degree	$77,050	$59,120 – $122,710	2,540
18	Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$59,970	$36,200 – $107,980	1,020
19	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,760	$35,380 – $105,540	7,470
20	Teaching Assistants, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$58,330	$52,930 – $75,980	4,290
21	Library TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$57,290	$40,410 – $77,880	2,060
22	TutorsSome college, no degree	$48,730	$29,900 – $104,000	3,080
23	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$46,470	$35,620 – $53,540	15,060
24	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$46,200	$34,470 – $61,880	25,050
25	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$44,660	$35,430 – $77,650	11,910

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV to rank honestly.

High paying teaching and library jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

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