The median math teacher salary in Kansas was $59,920 for high school teachers and $60,580 for middle school teachers as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These figures cover teachers of all subjects, including math. Lawrence has the highest high school median of any metro area, at $62,080.
If you’re weighing a teaching job in Kansas, two things in the BLS data may surprise you. Middle school teachers out-earn high school teachers statewide, by $660 at the median, and high school medians across the four metro areas based wholly in Kansas sit within $4,460 of each other. Here’s what BLS reports for the state, its four neighbors, every metro area that includes part of Kansas, and the job outlook through 2034.
Kansas Math Teacher Salary by Grade Level
BLS has no separate math teacher category, so any figure for math teacher salary in Kansas comes from its high school and middle school teacher data. Those figures cover all subjects, math included. Kansas employed 10,860 high school teachers and 6,230 middle school teachers as of May 2025.
| Occupation | Employed | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Teachers | 10,860 | $59,920 | $64,160 | $76,230 |
| Middle School Teachers | 6,230 | $60,580 | $64,320 | $78,430 |
The two grade bands track each other closely. At the 75th percentile they’re $160 apart, and middle school stays ahead at the 90th percentile too. If you’re certifying for grades 6-12, the grade band you end up teaching won’t change your pay much in Kansas.
What Top Earners Make in Kansas
The top 10% of high school teachers in Kansas earned $76,230 or more as of May 2025, which is $16,310 above the state median. Nationally, the 90th percentile for high school teachers was $107,600, so the Kansas top end sits $31,370 lower.
Middle school pay tops out the same way: $78,430 at the 90th percentile in Kansas, against $102,540 nationally. BLS percentiles aren’t experience levels, so don’t read the 90th percentile as what a 20-year veteran earns. Kansas districts set pay through their own salary schedules, so check the posted schedule for any district you apply to.
How Kansas Compares to the National Median and Neighboring States
Kansas high school teachers earned $12,120 less than the national median of $72,040 as of May 2025. Middle school teachers sit closer, $3,790 below the national median of $64,370. You can see how every state compares on our national math teacher salary overview.
Kansas borders four states, and this table covers all of them. Kansas ranks third of the five for both grade bands. Colorado pays the most, with a high school median $12,980 above Kansas. Nebraska math teacher salaries run $3,530 ahead at the high school median. Missouri math teacher pay is almost the same as Kansas pay, and Oklahoma math teachers earn the least in the region, $11,210 below Kansas at the high school median.
| State | High School Median | Middle School Median |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $72,900 | $63,760 |
| Nebraska | $63,450 | $62,510 |
| Kansas | $59,920 | $60,580 |
| Missouri | $59,240 | $59,310 |
| Oklahoma | $48,710 | $48,440 |
Math Teacher Salaries in Kansas Cities
High school medians across the four metro areas based wholly in Kansas run from $57,620 in Manhattan to $62,080 in Lawrence as of May 2025. Wichita employs more high school teachers than any of them, 2,320, and pays a $61,840 median. Three of the four top the $59,920 state figure: Lawrence, Topeka and Wichita.
Middle school medians in those four metros run from $54,980 in Manhattan to $61,300 in Wichita. In all four, high school teachers out-earn middle school teachers at the median, even though middle school comes out ahead statewide. The statewide figures also count teachers outside metro areas, and BLS publishes no separate Kansas nonmetropolitan rows in this data.
This table lists all seven metro areas in the BLS data that include part of Kansas. The four based wholly in Kansas come first. Joplin, Kansas City and St. Joseph, listed last, cross into Missouri, and their figures include the Missouri side of those metro areas. Kansas City is the largest of the seven, with 7,750 high school teachers, and it’s one of two metros where middle school pays more than high school at the median.
| Metro Area | High School Median | Middle School Median | Employed (High / Middle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence, KS | $62,080 | $59,400 | 370 / 230 |
| Manhattan, KS | $57,620 | $54,980 | 330 / 240 |
| Topeka, KS | $60,130 | $59,520 | 920 / 520 |
| Wichita, KS | $61,840 | $61,300 | 2,320 / 1,580 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | $50,690 | $49,110 | 580 / 430 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $61,200 | $62,570 | 7,750 / 4,010 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $49,790 | $50,600 | 360 / 260 |
Job Outlook for Math Teachers in Kansas
Kansas teaching employment is projected to hold close to flat over the next decade. Projections Central estimates employment of high school teachers in Kansas will decline about 0.4% between 2024 and 2034, with an average of 670 openings per year. Middle school teaching employment is projected to decline about 0.7% over the same period, with an average of 420 openings per year.
These are Kansas-specific projections from the Kansas Labor Information Center. Openings come mostly from teachers who retire or leave the profession, and together the two grade bands add up to about 1,090 openings a year statewide.
The national picture is flat too. 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 Kansas?
High school teachers in Kansas earned a median annual salary of $59,920 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $60,580, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS reports these figures for teachers of all subjects, including math.
Which Kansas city pays math teachers the most?
Lawrence has the highest high school median of any metro area that includes part of Kansas, at $62,080 as of May 2025. For middle school, Kansas City leads at $62,570, but that figure includes the Missouri side of the metro. Wichita leads the metros based wholly in Kansas for middle school, at $61,300.
Do middle school math teachers earn more than high school math teachers in Kansas?
Statewide, yes, by $660 at the median as of May 2025. In each of the four metro areas based wholly in Kansas, though, high school teachers earn more at the median. Kansas City and St. Joseph are the two metros where middle school pays more.
Is Kansas adding math teaching jobs?
Not on net. Projections Central estimates high school teaching employment in Kansas will decline about 0.4% and middle school teaching employment about 0.7% between 2024 and 2034. Schools still expect about 670 high school and 420 middle school openings each year as teachers retire or leave.
How does Kansas math teacher pay compare to neighboring states?
Kansas ranks third of five among itself and its four neighbors for both grade bands as of May 2025. Colorado and Nebraska pay more, Missouri is within $680 at the high school median, and Oklahoma pays about $11,210 less.
- State median: Kansas high school teachers earned a $59,920 median and middle school teachers $60,580 as of May 2025, across all subjects.
- Middle school edges ahead: Statewide, middle school teachers out-earn high school teachers by $660 at the median.
- Tight metro range: High school medians in the four metros based wholly in Kansas run from $57,620 in Manhattan to $62,080 in Lawrence.
- Middle of the region: Kansas ranks third of five against Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma, and trails the national high school median by $12,120.
- Flat outlook, steady openings: Employment is projected to dip less than 1% by 2034, with about 1,090 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.
Kansas metro medians sit close together, so the bigger choice is the program that gets you licensed, not the city you train in. The schools listed here include online math education programs, and some fit career changers who need to keep a job while they train.