The average salary for an elementary school teacher in the United States and Canada range around $53,000 per year while in the UK, teachers salary average at £25,000 yearly ($32,730). In Australia, however, you’ll find that elementary teachers make around $65,000 ($50,000 USD) per year. There are various factors that can influence your salary as an elementary school teacher such as experience, being bilingual, your degree, and the state that you choose to work in.
Globally, can a high salary be expected for all candidates? If you are interested in becoming an elementary school teacher, learn how your skills and experience, state/country and other factors will influence your salary and career prospects.
Elementary School Teachers Salary Influencers
Though employment information sites such as indeed.com or payscale.com list different values for income by state, there are similar job outlooks and influencing factors for this job. You can find explanations of these differing factors below.
1. Industry
As an elementary school teacher, choosing to teach at a public or private school will affect your salary. Public school teachers tend to make more money than their private school counterparts. A public elementary school teacher salary is $36,250 per year. Furthermore, teaching at private schools may result in less benefits teaching at a public school. However, while teaching a public school may require a bachelor’s degree and a state certification to teach, many private schools will hire based on qualifications.
While teaching, you will notice that there are salary differences depending on location. In larger metropolitan areas such as New York or Los Angeles, the average income for elementary school teachers increases, averaging around $60,000 a year. In smaller cities and rural areas, the salary decreases along with the cost of living expenses.
Furthermore, the type of elementary school teacher could possibly affect your pay slightly. Also, earning bonuses as a teacher is possible in wealthier school districts, depending on student testing.
2. Geographical Area
| Elementary School Teacher Salary | Hourly Wage | Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| US | $28.41 | $59,085 |
| Canada | C$23.48 | C$48,844 |
| UK | £18.27 | £38,000 |
| Australia | AU$26.44 | AU$55,000 |
| Switzerland | CHF42.07 | CHF87,500 |
| Norway | NOK262.50 | NOK546,000 |
Elementary School Teacher Salary in the United States
The salary range for an elementary school teacher in the US can range between $37,000 to $53,000 yearly, which can increase over time due to experience up to around $67,000 per year. Furthermore, as a teacher, you can expect yearly bonuses from $500 up to $5000 added on to your salary, depending on your school’s test scores.
Elementary School Teacher Salary in Canada
In Canada, you can expect elementary school teacher salary ranges between $35,000 and $71,000 per year, which, after experience, increases up to $90,000 yearly. In addition, the added bonuses that teachers can receive can increase their income from $100 to $5000 a year.
Elementary School Teacher Salary in the United Kingdom
While being a teacher in the UK, you can expect an average starting salary range of about £14,200 to £30,000. However, experience will not necessarily correlate to more pay after 10 years of experience. Senior educators who have more than 20 years of experience, on the other hand, can see their pay increasing slightly.
Elementary School Teacher Salary in Australia
As a teacher in Australia, the expected salaries range from around $46,000 to $83,000 on average; gaining more experience as an elementary school teacher grants you a higher salary around $96,000. Fortunately for elementary teachers, as your experience increases, so does your pay.
Elementary School Teacher Salary in Switzerland
If you decide to become an elementary school teacher in Switzerland, you can expect a medium income of from $27,000 to $81,000, with senior educators reaching higher salaries of $95,000.
Elementary School Teacher Salary in Norway
For elementary school teachers, the salary is generally around $400,000 to $500,000. In Norway, your salary can increase with experience and whether you are a managerial teacher.
3. Experience
For elementary school teachers, on average, the pay is usually low on the pay scale at around $30,000. Usually, for private schools, teachers do not necessarily need a bachelor’s degree in education to teach. However, public school teachers will need a university degree in either education or the discipline in which they will teach.
Usually, the more experience that you earn, the higher you salary. The pay usually increases after 10 years of experience and you will receive seniority pay after 20 years.
Working Hours
Elementary school teachers usually work full-time hours at around 40 hours a week. However, for some teachers, you can work overtime at around 50 hours per week or in Norway, some teachers typically work 37.5 hours.
A typical work day for an elementary school teacher starts in the early morning and ends around 7 or 8 hours in the mid afternoon. An average day for teachers isn’t only teaching students, however. They also have to attend staff meetings, do lesson planning and grade assignments.
Depending on the country, school usually breaks during the summer, allowing the teachers to have slight breaks; students that attend school year round will still have weekly breaks during the semester.
Bonuses and Benefit Packages
For elementary school teachers, there are several factors that will affect the types of bonuses you may receive over the course of your teaching career. For public school teachers, you may receive signing bonuses to work in particular locations. Furthermore, in the US, you may receive loan forgiveness after you receive your degree.
Typical benefits for elementary school teachers are varied by state but generally include insurance for them and their families, sick and paid leave, and teaching grants. Most teachers are also part of a teacher’s union, such as the National Education Association or the American Federation of Teachers.
Job Outlook
As of 2014, the job outlook for elementary school teachers is 6% over 10 years in the US and Canada. In Australia, it is also estimated that the job prospects for elementary teachers will be high, exceeding 50,000.
Depending on your location, there is a possibility of a teacher shortage. Some causes of the shortages include high cost of living in that area compared to the low salary of teachers in that area. Also, there are many classes being reinstated but not enough teachers qualified to teach the subjects.
Conclusion
Elementary school teachers should find many opportunities for employment in their preferred subject, given teacher shortages in certain areas. Depending on the area, the income for teachers may be limited but by joining a teacher’s union you may receive higher pay. However, being a teacher allows you great benefits, including paid time off and insurance.
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