The median math teacher salary in Arizona was $58,360 for high school teachers and $59,710 for middle school teachers as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These figures cover teachers of all subjects, including math. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler pays the most of any Arizona metro: $59,570 for high school and $61,330 for middle school.
If you’re weighing a math teaching job in Arizona, two things set this state apart. Middle school teachers out-earn high school teachers at the median, and both grade bands sit below the national median. Here’s what BLS reports for the state, all seven metro areas, and the job outlook through 2034.
Arizona Math Teacher Salary by Grade Level
BLS has no separate math teacher category, so any figure for math teacher salary in Arizona comes from two broader occupations: high school teachers and middle school teachers, across all subjects. Arizona employed 21,190 high school teachers and 9,020 middle school teachers as of May 2025.
| Occupation | Employed | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Teachers | 21,190 | $58,360 | $64,890 | $93,530 |
| Middle School Teachers | 9,020 | $59,710 | $65,990 | $81,420 |
Arizona’s middle school median is $1,350 higher than its high school median. That’s unusual: nationally, high school teachers earn more. So if you’re certifying for grades 6-12, don’t assume the high school job is the better-paid one.
What Top Earners Make in Arizona
The top 10% of high school teachers in Arizona earned $93,530 or more as of May 2025, which is $35,170 above the state median. Nationally, the 90th percentile for high school teachers was $107,600.
The middle of the range is tight. Arizona’s 75th percentile for high school teachers was $64,890, just $6,530 above the median, so most high school pay clusters close to the middle. Middle school pay reached $81,420 at the 90th percentile, against $102,540 nationally.
BLS percentiles aren’t experience levels, so don’t read the 90th percentile as what a 20-year veteran earns. Arizona districts and charter schools set pay through their own salary schedules, so check the posted schedule for any school you apply to.
How Arizona Compares to the National Median
Arizona high school teachers earned $13,680 less than the national median of $72,040 as of May 2025. Middle school teachers sit closer, $4,660 below the national median of $64,370. You can see how every state compares on our national math teacher pay page.
All five of Arizona’s neighbors pay more at both grade bands. California pays the most by a wide margin, with a $101,370 high school median and $98,950 for middle school. Utah math teachers come next, with a high school median of $76,330 and a middle school median of $79,180, followed by New Mexico at $75,900 for high school and $75,240 for middle school. Colorado’s math teacher pay is $72,900 for high school ($63,760 for middle school). Nevada math teacher salaries run closest to Arizona’s at the high school level, at $65,520 for high school and $66,300 for middle school.
Math Teacher Salaries in Arizona Cities
High school medians across Arizona metro areas run from $48,590 in Prescott Valley-Prescott to $59,570 in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler as of May 2025, a $10,980 spread. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler employs more than two-thirds of the state’s high school teachers. It’s also the only metro whose high school median tops the $58,360 state figure.
Grade band matters more in some metros than others. In Flagstaff, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler and Tucson, middle school teachers out-earn high school teachers at the median. Tucson shows the widest gap, with a $57,460 middle school median against $50,940 for high school.
This table lists all seven metro areas in the BLS data for Arizona, with medians for both grade bands. None of them crosses a state line, and BLS released figures for both grade bands in every one.
| Metro Area | High School Median | Middle School Median | Employed (High / Middle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff, AZ | $57,450 | $58,020 | 380 / 110 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $49,350 | $47,230 | 370 / 160 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $59,570 | $61,330 | 14,730 / 6,550 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $48,590 | $47,590 | 410 / 260 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $53,960 | $50,180 | 310 / 120 |
| Tucson, AZ | $50,940 | $57,460 | 3,320 / 1,040 |
| Yuma, AZ | $49,670 | $48,770 | 520 / 200 |
Arizona Math Teacher Job Outlook
Arizona is one of the states projecting small gains. Projections Central estimates high school teaching employment in Arizona will grow 2% between 2024 and 2034, from 23,340 to 23,800 jobs, with an average of 1,520 openings per year. Middle school teaching employment is projected to grow 1.4%, from 8,730 to 8,850 jobs, with about 600 openings a year. You’ll find the state’s full projections on the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity site.
Most of those openings come from teachers retiring or leaving, not from new positions. Together, the two grade bands add up to about 2,120 openings a year statewide.
The national picture is flat. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects little or no change in employment of high school teachers from 2025 to 2035, from 1,087,500 to 1,085,000 jobs, with about 63,500 openings a year. Employment of middle school teachers is projected to go from 630,100 to 627,400 over the same period, also little or no change, with about 38,800 openings a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do math teachers make in Arizona?
High school teachers in Arizona earned a median annual salary of $58,360 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $59,710, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS reports these figures for teachers of all subjects, including math.
Which Arizona city pays math teachers the most?
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler has the highest medians in Arizona for both grade bands as of May 2025: $59,570 for high school and $61,330 for middle school. Flagstaff ranks second for both, at $57,450 and $58,020.
Do middle school math teachers earn more than high school math teachers in Arizona?
Statewide, yes, by $1,350 at the median as of May 2025. The same holds in Flagstaff, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler and Tucson. In the other four metros, high school teachers earn more at the median.
Is Arizona adding math teaching jobs?
Slowly. Projections Central estimates high school teaching employment in Arizona will grow 2% and middle school teaching employment 1.4% between 2024 and 2034. The state expects about 1,520 high school and 600 middle school openings each year, most of them from retirements and turnover.
How does Arizona math teacher pay compare to the national median?
Arizona’s high school median of $58,360 is $13,680 below the national median of $72,040 as of May 2025. Its middle school median of $59,710 sits $4,660 below the national $64,370.
- State median: Arizona high school teachers earned a $58,360 median and middle school teachers $59,710 as of May 2025, across all subjects.
- Middle school pays more: Statewide and in three metros, including Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler and Tucson, middle school teachers out-earn high school teachers at the median.
- Phoenix leads: High school medians run from $48,590 in Prescott Valley-Prescott to $59,570 in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, a $10,980 spread.
- Below the national median: Arizona trails the national high school median by $13,680 and the middle school median by $4,660.
- Small projected gains: Employment is projected to grow 1.4% to 2% by 2034, with about 2,120 high school and middle school openings a year.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Middle School Teachers and High School Teachers, which include teachers of all subjects. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026. National job outlook figures (2025-2035) are from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
If you’re aiming for an Arizona classroom, compare programs by whether they lead to Arizona certification in middle grades or secondary math and how they arrange your student teaching. The schools listed here can tell you whether their coursework fits around a full-time job.