The median math teacher salary in Pennsylvania was $78,800 for high school teachers and $77,930 for middle school teachers as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both beat the national medians. Across the state’s metro areas, high school medians run from $60,770 in Altoona to $81,350 in Pittsburgh.
If you’re choosing between middle and high school math in Pennsylvania, pay shouldn’t decide it. The two grade bands earn within $870 of each other at the state median, a much smaller gap than the national one. Where you teach matters more. BLS reports these figures for teachers of all subjects, including math, so treat them as the pay for the job, not a math premium.
Math Teacher Salary in Pennsylvania by Grade Level
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, high school teachers in Pennsylvania earned a median annual salary of $78,800 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $77,930. Pennsylvania employs 52,240 high school teachers and 22,720 middle school teachers.
| Occupation | Employment | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Teachers | 52,240 | $78,800 | $92,980 | $102,360 |
| Middle School Teachers | 22,720 | $77,930 | $96,600 | $105,330 |
Nationally, high school teachers out-earn middle school teachers by $7,670 at the median. In Pennsylvania, that gap shrinks to $870. Middle school teachers here actually earn more at the 75th and 90th percentiles.
What Top Earners Make
The top 10% of high school teachers in Pennsylvania earned $102,360 or more as of May 2025, about $23,560 above the state median. That’s below the national 90th percentile of $107,600, even though Pennsylvania’s median is higher. Pay here starts strong and tops out sooner.
Middle school runs the other way. The Pennsylvania 90th percentile was $105,330, above the national figure of $102,540. BLS percentiles aren’t experience levels, though. They rank everyone in the occupation by pay, from first-year teachers to veterans. Each Pennsylvania district sets its own salary schedule, usually through its teachers’ contract, so check the schedule for any district you apply to for its exact steps and its pay for a master’s degree.
How Pennsylvania Compares to the National Median and Neighboring States
Pennsylvania high school teachers earned $6,760 more than the national median of $72,040 as of May 2025. The middle school gap is wider: Pennsylvania sits $13,560 above the national median of $64,370. Our national salary page shows how this state’s pay compares with every other state.
Three neighboring states show how much the region varies. New Jersey math teacher salaries are the highest of the three, with a high school median of $82,200 and a middle school median of $78,770. Maryland math teacher pay lands almost level with Pennsylvania at $78,670 for high school ($78,510 for middle school). West Virginia math teacher salaries run much lower: the high school median was $56,610 ($57,210 for middle school), more than $22,000 below Pennsylvania’s.
Math Teacher Salaries in Pennsylvania Cities
High school medians across Pennsylvania metro areas run from $60,770 in Altoona to $81,350 in Pittsburgh as of May 2025. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington employs the most high school teachers, 25,460, and pays $80,560 at the median. Its figures cover the New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland parts of that metro area too, and Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton’s include its New Jersey side.
One pattern is worth knowing before you compare offers. In 8 of the 12 metros with figures for both grade bands, middle school teachers out-earn high school teachers at the median. Pittsburgh’s middle school median of $84,800 is the highest in the state’s metro data, and in Altoona the middle school median beats the high school one by $13,960.
This table lists all 16 Pennsylvania metro areas in the BLS data, with medians for both grade bands. BLS didn’t report a middle school figure for Gettysburg, Johnstown or Lebanon, or a high school figure for Williamsport.
| Metro Area | High School Median | Middle School Median | Employed (High / Middle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $79,990 | $79,620 | 3,750 / 1,460 |
| Altoona, PA | $60,770 | $74,730 | 700 / 190 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $77,700 | $75,840 | 530 / 310 |
| Erie, PA | $65,870 | $62,330 | 750 / 600 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $77,150 | Not reported | 530 / not reported |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $72,860 | $76,140 | 2,090 / 1,190 |
| Johnstown, PA | $72,780 | Not reported | 580 / not reported |
| Lancaster, PA | $80,820 | $80,960 | 1,900 / 740 |
| Lebanon, PA | $79,170 | Not reported | 620 / not reported |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $80,560 | $78,130 | 25,460 / 13,090 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $81,350 | $84,800 | 9,600 / 4,390 |
| Reading, PA | $80,250 | $81,120 | 1,350 / 780 |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | $75,050 | $80,030 | 1,850 / 1,560 |
| State College, PA | $73,250 | $78,280 | 510 / 220 |
| Williamsport, PA | Not reported | $81,760 | not reported / 230 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $80,870 | $81,830 | 990 / 810 |
Job Outlook for Math Teachers in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s teaching workforce is projected to hold almost flat. Projections Central estimates employment of high school teachers in Pennsylvania will decline 0.1% between 2024 and 2034, with an average of 3,200 openings per year. Middle school teaching employment is projected to decline 0.3% over the same period, with an average of 1,680 openings per year. These state figures come from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry projections.
The national outlook is similar. BLS projects little or no change in employment from 2025 to 2035 for high school teachers, from 1,087,500 to 1,085,000 jobs, and for middle school teachers, from 630,100 to 627,400. Retirements and career changes still open about 63,500 high school and 38,800 middle school positions a year. The openings, not growth, are where your job comes from.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do math teachers make in Pennsylvania?
High school teachers in Pennsylvania earned a median annual salary of $78,800 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $77,930, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS doesn’t track math teachers separately, so these figures cover teachers of all subjects.
Do high school math teachers earn more than middle school math teachers in Pennsylvania?
Only slightly, and not everywhere. Statewide, the high school median is $870 higher. But in 8 of the 12 Pennsylvania metro areas with figures for both, middle school teachers earn more at the median, and the middle school 90th percentile ($105,330) beats the high school one ($102,360).
Which Pennsylvania metro area pays math teachers the most?
Pittsburgh has the highest medians for both grade bands in the BLS data: $81,350 for high school teachers and $84,800 for middle school teachers as of May 2025. York-Hanover ($80,870) and Lancaster ($80,820) follow closely for high school.
How does math teacher pay rise with experience in Pennsylvania?
Each district sets pay on its own salary schedule, usually negotiated in the teachers’ contract, with steps for years of service and higher columns for graduate credits or a master’s degree. BLS doesn’t report pay by experience, so check the published schedule of any district you’re considering.
Are math teaching jobs growing in Pennsylvania?
Not in number. Projections Central estimates high school teaching employment in Pennsylvania will decline 0.1% between 2024 and 2034, and middle school employment will decline 0.3%. Turnover still creates an average of 3,200 high school and 1,680 middle school openings each year.
- State medians: Pennsylvania high school teachers earned $78,800 and middle school teachers $77,930 as of May 2025, both above the national medians.
- Grade band barely matters: The statewide gap is $870, and middle school pays more at the median in 8 of 12 metros with both figures.
- Location does: High school medians range from $60,770 in Altoona to $81,350 in Pittsburgh.
- A lower ceiling for high school: The high school 90th percentile of $102,360 trails the national $107,600.
- Openings, not growth: Employment is projected to stay nearly flat through 2034, with about 3,200 high school and 1,680 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.
Since Pennsylvania pays the two grade bands almost the same, choose the band you want to teach first, then compare programs on format, cost and where they place student teachers. The schools listed here offer programs toward math teacher certification, so you can weigh those details side by side.