The average salary for a Teacher in Los Angeles is 73,253 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 6,104 $ gross per month and 35.22 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 35,200 $ to 120,000 $. The analysis is based on 36 salary reports from workers and employers in Los Angeles. Part-time salaries are proportionally converted to 40 weekly hours so the values are comparable.
| Date | Job title | Weekly hours | Reported gross/year | Normalized to 40h/year | Gross/month 40h | Gross/hour 40h | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/22/2026 | Experienced Public School Teacher (top of scale) | 40.0 h | 120,000 $ | 120,000 $ | 10,000 $ | 57.69 $ | I am at the top of the district salary schedule with many years of experience and advanced credentials; I teach a full load and take on mentorship responsibilities. |
| 11/11/2025 | Owner / Head Instructor (self-employed) | 45.0 h | 95,000 $ | 84,444 $ | 7,037 $ | 40.60 $ | I run a small tutoring center and also teach multiple classes. As the owner and head instructor I work longer hours—this is my gross annual income from the operation. |
| 07/18/2025 | Lead Instructional Coach | 43.0 h | 115,000 $ | 106,977 $ | 8,915 $ | 51.43 $ | I lead instructional coaching across several schools while maintaining a small teaching load. The role is a teacher-leader position and requires significant coordination time. |
| 02/03/2025 | Senior Math Teacher | 40.0 h | 110,000 $ | 110,000 $ | 9,167 $ | 52.88 $ | I'm an experienced high school math teacher on the top step of the salary schedule with curriculum responsibilities and regular mentoring duties. |
| 09/27/2024 | Private Tutor / Instructor (part-time) | 20.0 h | 30,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I run a private tutoring practice alongside part-time teaching assignments, averaging about 20 hours a week focused on SAT prep and subject tutoring. |
| 05/08/2024 | Private School Head of Department | 40.0 h | 90,000 $ | 90,000 $ | 7,500 $ | 43.27 $ | I head the department at a well-established private school, overseeing curriculum and staffing while teaching a full course load. |
| 01/19/2024 | Special Education Coordinator (teacher role) | 42.0 h | 105,000 $ | 100,000 $ | 8,333 $ | 48.08 $ | I coordinate special education services across my site in addition to a reduced classroom load. This leadership teacher position requires frequent meetings and paperwork. |
| 10/04/2023 | Middle School Teacher (reduced hours) | 35.0 h | 70,000 $ | 80,000 $ | 6,667 $ | 38.46 $ | I chose a slightly reduced schedule for work-life balance and teach four days a week, averaging 35 hours. My salary is adjusted accordingly. |
| 06/21/2023 | STEM Lead Teacher (large district) | 40.0 h | 102,000 $ | 102,000 $ | 8,500 $ | 49.04 $ | I lead the STEM program across multiple schools in a large district while maintaining a classroom. The leadership stipend and responsibilities increase my total compensation. |
| 03/14/2023 | Senior Teacher with Master's | 40.0 h | 98,000 $ | 98,000 $ | 8,167 $ | 47.12 $ | I have extensive experience and a master's degree; I'm at the top of the teacher pay scale and mentor new teachers across the site. |
| 11/30/2022 | After-School Instructor (part-time) | 20.0 h | 26,000 $ | 52,000 $ | 4,333 $ | 25.00 $ | I direct after-school enrichment programs at two campuses and teach small groups; the work is part-time, about 20 hours weekly during the school year. |
| 09/09/2022 | Literacy Coach | 40.0 h | 95,000 $ | 95,000 $ | 7,917 $ | 45.67 $ | I work district-wide as a literacy coach supporting teachers, running workshops, and analyzing reading data. It's a full-time instructional leadership role. |
| 05/27/2022 | Private International School Teacher | 40.0 h | 65,000 $ | 65,000 $ | 5,417 $ | 31.25 $ | I teach at a small international private school; the pay is modest relative to district rates but includes a smaller class size and parental involvement. |
| 02/08/2022 | Senior High School Teacher | 40.0 h | 88,000 $ | 88,000 $ | 7,333 $ | 42.31 $ | I'm a senior teacher with a master's degree and several leadership responsibilities including mentoring and curriculum development at the high school level. |
| 12/19/2021 | Substitute Teacher (part-time) | 30.0 h | 30,000 $ | 40,000 $ | 3,333 $ | 19.23 $ | I work most semesters as a regular substitute across multiple campuses. It's part-time on paper but averages about 30 hours during the school year. |
| 10/02/2021 | Charter School Teacher | 38.0 h | 68,000 $ | 71,579 $ | 5,965 $ | 34.41 $ | I work at a mid-sized charter network; my responsibilities include extended planning time and community outreach in addition to classroom teaching. |
| 07/14/2021 | Middle School Department Chair | 42.0 h | 92,000 $ | 87,619 $ | 7,302 $ | 42.12 $ | I serve as department chair while teaching a classroom. The role involves scheduling, mentoring, and curriculum leadership, and requires consistent extra hours. |
| 03/30/2021 | Elementary School Teacher | 40.0 h | 80,000 $ | 80,000 $ | 6,667 $ | 38.46 $ | I'm a tenured elementary teacher in a large urban district. After several step increases and extra duties, my full-time salary reflects my experience. |
| 12/22/2020 | After-School Music Instructor (part-time) | 18.0 h | 22,000 $ | 48,889 $ | 4,074 $ | 23.50 $ | I run after-school music classes at several campuses; this is a part-time position totaling about 18 hours per week. |
| 11/05/2020 | Senior Special Education Teacher | 40.0 h | 79,000 $ | 79,000 $ | 6,583 $ | 37.98 $ | I'm a senior special education teacher with many years in the district. I handle complex cases and co-lead professional development for special ed supports. |
| 09/11/2020 | AP Physics Teacher | 40.0 h | 78,000 $ | 78,000 $ | 6,500 $ | 37.50 $ | I teach AP Physics at a public high school. I've been in this role for eight years and often run evening review sessions for AP students. |
| 04/20/2020 | Independent Online ESL Instructor (self-employed) | 30.0 h | 42,000 $ | 56,000 $ | 4,667 $ | 26.92 $ | During the pandemic I shifted to online instruction and tutored both students and adult learners full-time-equivalent across about 30 hours a week as a self-employed instructor. |
| 12/03/2019 | Reading Specialist | 39.0 h | 76,000 $ | 77,949 $ | 6,496 $ | 37.48 $ | I'm a reading specialist working district-wide to support struggling readers. I consult with classroom teachers and run intervention groups in a near-full-time role. |
| 08/27/2019 | Private School Teacher | 35.0 h | 52,000 $ | 59,429 $ | 4,952 $ | 28.57 $ | I teach at a small private K-8 school. The job is full-time but contractual hours are slightly lighter at about 35 hours per week. |
| 05/16/2019 | Curriculum Coordinator (teacher role) | 42.0 h | 85,000 $ | 80,952 $ | 6,746 $ | 38.92 $ | I split time between classroom teaching and district curriculum coordination; I supervise curriculum rollout and coach teachers. This is a leadership teacher role that requires extra hours. |
| 01/25/2019 | STEM Teacher | 40.0 h | 73,000 $ | 73,000 $ | 6,083 $ | 35.10 $ | I teach an integrated STEM program at a large high school. I'm mid-career with six years' experience and run after-school clubs as part of the role. |
| 11/18/2018 | Long-Term Substitute Teacher | 34.0 h | 40,000 $ | 47,059 $ | 3,922 $ | 22.62 $ | I covered a full school year for a leave and worked as a long-term substitute. The role was treated as near full-time but contracted as part-time at 34 hours. |
| 09/30/2018 | Lead Teacher (charter) | 40.0 h | 70,000 $ | 70,000 $ | 5,833 $ | 33.65 $ | I work at a charter school as the lead teacher for the grade span. I handle curriculum planning and teacher collaboration in addition to my classroom duties. |
| 06/10/2018 | Senior Special Education Teacher | 40.0 h | 67,000 $ | 67,000 $ | 5,583 $ | 32.21 $ | I have seven years in special education at a large district site. I'm a senior classroom teacher and mentor newer special ed staff. |
| 03/22/2018 | Music Teacher (part-time) | 20.0 h | 28,000 $ | 56,000 $ | 4,667 $ | 26.92 $ | I'm a music teacher at a small private school and supplement with after-school lessons. My contract is part-time at about 20 hours a week. |
| 12/05/2017 | Middle School Math Teacher | 38.0 h | 58,000 $ | 61,053 $ | 5,088 $ | 29.35 $ | I teach 6th through 8th grade math at a mid-sized public middle school. I'm in my fifth year and spend extra time on grading and parent communication. |
| 08/30/2017 | ESL Teacher (part-time) | 30.0 h | 36,000 $ | 48,000 $ | 4,000 $ | 23.08 $ | I teach ESL in a community program and at a charter school; this is a part-time combined position totaling about 30 hours per week. |
| 02/14/2017 | High School Science Teacher | 40.0 h | 62,000 $ | 62,000 $ | 5,167 $ | 29.81 $ | I teach biology and chemistry at a large public high school. I'm in my third year and this is a full-time position with typical coaching and committee responsibilities. |
| 11/20/2016 | Special Education Teacher | 38.0 h | 56,000 $ | 58,947 $ | 4,912 $ | 28.34 $ | I teach special education in a mid-sized neighborhood school. I have four years' experience and handle several IEPs and related paperwork in addition to classroom instruction. |
| 09/05/2016 | Substitute Teacher (part-time) | 25.0 h | 22,000 $ | 35,200 $ | 2,933 $ | 16.92 $ | I work as a long-term substitute mostly at elementary sites and take assignments as they come. This is a part-time role and I average about 25 hours a week throughout the school year. |
| 07/15/2016 | Elementary School Teacher | 40.0 h | 48,000 $ | 48,000 $ | 4,000 $ | 23.08 $ | I'm an early-career elementary teacher in a large public district. I've been here two years; it's a full-time role with standard classroom duties and some after-school meetings. |
Los Angeles offers one of the nation’s most dynamic environments for teachers. The city anchors the vast Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metro and is served by Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest school district in the United States. With diverse neighborhoods, a multilingual student body, and strong demand in several specialty areas, teaching in Los Angeles typically combines big-city opportunity with complex instructional needs.
Hiring for teachers in Los Angeles is influenced by statewide education initiatives and local demographic trends. California’s expansion of Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) through the mid-2020s is prompting districts to add early elementary classrooms, which can increase demand for educators with early childhood expertise. At the same time, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) regularly reports persistent shortages in certain fields—especially special education, mathematics, science, and bilingual education—areas that many Los Angeles schools continue to prioritize.
Los Angeles classrooms serve students who speak dozens of languages, and many are English Learners. That reality often drives steady hiring for teachers with an English Learner authorization and for dual-language or bilingual educators (for example, Spanish, Korean, Armenian, and Mandarin programs are found across the region). California’s emphasis on arts and creative education—bolstered by the statewide Proposition 28 arts and music funding—can also support additional openings in music, theater, dance, and visual arts.
Most K–12 roles require a California preliminary or clear credential. For UTK and early grades, districts may consider candidates with Multiple Subject credentials and early childhood coursework, and the state is rolling out a PK–3 Early Childhood Education Specialist Credential. Career and Technical Education (CTE) credentials are another pathway for industry-experienced professionals to teach subjects like engineering, media arts, information technology, and health sciences—fields that align well with Los Angeles’s entertainment, tech, and healthcare economies.
Recruitment typically peaks from spring into late summer, though larger districts and charter networks often hire year-round. Local teacher-preparation pipelines through institutions such as UCLA, Cal State LA, Cal State Northridge, and Loyola Marymount University help supply new educators, but retirements, specialized shortages, and class-size targets can keep demand active. Cost of living and long commutes can also influence recruitment and retention patterns, leading many schools to seek teachers who already have ties to the region.
In Los Angeles, teachers can pursue a wide range of pathways. In-demand roles include special education (mild/moderate and moderate/severe), secondary math and science, bilingual/dual-language immersion, and early elementary classrooms connected to UTK. CTE and arts educators may find additional openings as districts expand programs in media arts, digital production, engineering, and music—fields that reflect the region’s creative and technical economy.
Career progression typically includes opportunities to become a grade-level or department lead, induction mentor, instructional coach, coordinator, assistant principal, or principal. Many districts in the area support National Board Certification and offer professional development in literacy, inclusive practices, and culturally and linguistically responsive teaching. Teachers can also move into curriculum design, educational technology integration, or district-level roles in assessment and program management.
Because Los Angeles classrooms are technology-rich and culturally diverse, school systems often seek educators comfortable with project-based learning, collaboration, and family engagement. Experience with restorative practices, inclusive education, and multi-tiered systems of support is commonly valued. For those interested in adult education, LAUSD’s DACE and local community programs regularly seek instructors for ESL, high school equivalency, and short-term CTE courses.
Overall, the teaching outlook in Los Angeles is generally favorable, particularly for educators with the right credentials and specializations. With large public systems, an extensive charter sector, and a wide array of private and community-based schools, teachers can find roles that match their skills while contributing to one of the most diverse and creative learning communities in the country.
The average salary for a Teacher in Los Angeles is 73,253 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 6,104 $ gross per month.
Part-time and full-time reports are normalized to a 40-hour workweek so salary reports can be compared fairly.
You can find more comparisons on the profession overview for Teacher and the city overview for Los Angeles. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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