The median math teacher salary in Virginia was $72,170 for high school teachers and $63,520 for middle school teachers as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These figures cover teachers of all subjects, including math. The Washington metro area pays the highest high school median, $80,300.
If you’re weighing a teaching job in Virginia, where you teach moves your pay more than almost anything else. High school medians across Virginia’s metro areas run from $58,290 to $80,300, and seven of those 11 metros sit below the statewide median. Here’s what BLS reports for the state, every metro area, every bordering state and the job outlook through 2034.
Virginia Math Teacher Salary by Grade Level
BLS has no separate math teacher category, so any figure for math teacher salary in Virginia comes from its high school and middle school teacher data. Those figures cover all subjects, math included. Virginia employed 31,100 high school teachers and 18,290 middle school teachers as of May 2025.
| Occupation | Employed | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Teachers | 31,100 | $72,170 | $83,820 | $107,930 |
| Middle School Teachers | 18,290 | $63,520 | $78,440 | $99,370 |
The grade band you certify for matters here. Statewide, high school teachers earned $8,650 more than middle school teachers at the median as of May 2025.
What Top Earners Make in Virginia
The top 10% of high school teachers in Virginia earned $107,930 or more as of May 2025, which is $35,760 above the state median. That’s $330 above the national 90th percentile of $107,600.
Middle school pay tops out lower: $99,370 at the 90th percentile in Virginia, against $102,540 nationally. BLS percentiles aren’t experience levels, so don’t read the 90th percentile as what a 20-year veteran earns. Virginia school divisions set pay through their own salary scales, so check the posted scale for any division you apply to.
How Virginia Compares to the National Median
Virginia high school teachers earned a $72,170 median as of May 2025, just $130 above the national median of $72,040. Middle school teachers sit $850 below the national median of $64,370, at $63,520. For every other state, see our state-by-state salary data.
Virginia vs. Bordering States
Virginia borders five states and the District of Columbia, and this table covers all of them. Virginia ranks third of the seven for both grade bands, behind only DC and Maryland.
| State | High School Median | Middle School Median |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $82,750 | $79,900 |
| Maryland | $78,670 | $78,510 |
| Virginia | $72,170 | $63,520 |
| Tennessee | $61,860 | $60,690 |
| Kentucky | $61,560 | $61,120 |
| North Carolina | $57,650 | $52,010 |
| West Virginia | $56,610 | $57,210 |
Maryland math teacher pay runs $6,500 ahead of Virginia’s at the high school median. To the south and west the gap flips: North Carolina math teacher salaries trail Virginia by $14,520 for high school, and West Virginia math teachers earn $15,560 less. Tennessee and Kentucky sit close together, $10,310 and $10,610 below Virginia for high school.
Math Teacher Salaries in Virginia Cities
High school medians across Virginia metro areas run from $58,290 in Lynchburg to $80,300 in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro as of May 2025. Only four of the 11 metros top the $72,170 state median: Harrisonburg, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria. Richmond, with 4,420 high school teachers, pays a $62,000 median, $10,170 below the state figure.
Harrisonburg’s figure comes from 400 high school teachers, and BLS reports the same $78,300 at the median, 75th and 90th percentiles there. Middle school pay runs from $60,310 in Lynchburg to $77,350 in the Washington metro. In two metros, Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford and Lynchburg, middle school teachers out-earn high school teachers at the median.
This table lists all 11 metro areas in the BLS data that include part of Virginia, with medians for both grade bands. The seven metros based wholly in Virginia come first. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, Kingsport-Bristol, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk and Winchester, listed last, cross state lines, and their figures include the DC, Maryland, West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina sides of those metro areas. BLS reports no middle school figure for Winchester.
| Metro Area | High School Median | Middle School Median | Employed (High / Middle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $60,880 | $62,700 | 480 / 260 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $63,200 | $62,800 | 910 / 510 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $78,300 | $76,830 | 400 / 340 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $58,290 | $60,310 | 890 / 370 |
| Richmond, VA | $62,000 | $61,350 | 4,420 / 2,760 |
| Roanoke, VA | $61,760 | $61,530 | 970 / 640 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $72,990 | $64,560 | 460 / 310 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $80,300 | $77,350 | 20,400 / 14,890 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $61,990 | $60,600 | 790 / 590 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $76,790 | $65,300 | 5,520 / 3,790 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $60,590 | Not reported | 450 / Not reported |
Job Outlook for Math Teachers in Virginia
Unlike the flat national outlook, Virginia is projected to add teaching jobs over the next decade. Projections Central estimates employment of high school teachers in Virginia will grow 6% between 2024 and 2034, from 28,070 to 29,750 jobs, with an average of 1,940 openings per year. Middle school teaching employment is projected to grow 5.7% over the same period, from 18,110 to 19,150 jobs, with an average of 1,340 openings per year.
These are Virginia-specific projections from the Virginia Workforce Connection. Together, the two grade bands add up to about 3,280 openings a year statewide. Projections Central counts jobs differently from the BLS wage survey, so its 2024 totals won’t match the employment figures in the tables above.
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 Virginia?
High school teachers in Virginia earned a median annual salary of $72,170 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $63,520, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS reports these figures for teachers of all subjects, including math.
Which Virginia city pays math teachers the most?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro has the highest high school median of any metro area that includes part of Virginia, at $80,300 as of May 2025. Harrisonburg leads the metros based wholly in Virginia, at $78,300. For middle school, the Washington metro leads with a $77,350 median.
Do high school math teachers earn more than middle school math teachers in Virginia?
Statewide, yes, by $8,650 at the median as of May 2025. That flips in two metros: Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford and Lynchburg both pay middle school teachers more than high school teachers at the median.
Is Virginia adding math teaching jobs?
Yes. Projections Central estimates high school teaching employment in Virginia will grow 6% and middle school teaching employment 5.7% between 2024 and 2034. That works out to about 1,940 high school and 1,340 middle school openings each year.
How does Virginia math teacher pay compare to neighboring states?
Among Virginia, its five bordering states and DC, Virginia ranks third for both grade bands as of May 2025. Only DC and Maryland pay more. Virginia’s $72,170 high school median is $14,520 above North Carolina’s and $15,560 above West Virginia’s.
- State median: Virginia high school teachers earned a $72,170 median and middle school teachers $63,520 as of May 2025, across all subjects.
- Location drives pay: High school medians run from $58,290 in Lynchburg to $80,300 in the Washington metro, and only four of 11 metros beat the state median.
- Grade band matters: High school teachers out-earn middle school teachers by $8,650 statewide, though Blacksburg and Lynchburg flip that.
- Third in the region: Among Virginia, its bordering states and DC, only DC and Maryland pay more.
- Projected growth: Employment is projected to grow about 6% by 2034, with about 3,280 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 planning to teach math in Virginia, compare programs by whether they lead to a Virginia teaching license with a mathematics endorsement and where they arrange your student teaching, since pay can differ by more than $20,000 between metros. The schools listed here include online options for career changers who need to keep working while they train.