Houston Teacher Salary
As a Houston teacher, you’ll receive a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits and opportunities to grow your career. We'll tell you everything you need to know.
Houston’s average teacher salary is around $60,000, and most teacher salaries are on the rise. From 2019 to 2020, Houston’s average teacher salaries rose by 5.0%. (1) That’s one of the fastest-growing salaries in the nation!
On this page, you'll find everything you need to know about salary and benefits for Houston teachers.
Get information on:
How Much Do Teachers Make In Houston Schools?
There are a number of ways you can increase your teaching salary, including advanced degrees, leading extracurriculars and pursuing advanced certifications or meeting performance benchmarks.
How Much Do Similar Professions Make Locally?
Salary numbers are important information, but you may also be wondering how teacher salaries compare to other professions.
Instructor salaries are comparable to or even higher than many other fields. Plus, teachers usually work just 180-190 days each annually—compared to 260 work days annually in most other fields.
Compare average salaries and work days across Texas (4):
Industry |
Job |
Days of work per year |
Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | Teacher | 187 | $60K |
| Administration | Bookkeeper | 260 | $45K |
| Social Services | Community Health Worker | 260 | $45K |
| Art and Design | Graphic Designer | 260 | $47K |
| Law | Paralegal or Legal Assistant | 260 | $48K |
| Technology | Web Developer | 260 | $68K |
Benefits for Teachers
Now is a great time to become a teacher. Teachers are in high demand across Texas, and the number of teaching opportunities is projected to grow in the coming years.
How Much Job Security Will I Have as a Teacher?
Now is a great time to become a teacher. Teachers are in high demand across Texas, and the number of teaching opportunities is projected to grow in the coming years. (6)
You’ll have extra job security if you get certified in a critical need shortage area. In Texas, shortage areas currently include (7):
- Computer Science
- English as a Second Language
- Math
- Special Education
Career Growth Opportunities
Your teaching journey doesn’t necessarily need to start and end in the classroom. As an educator, you can grow your career—and your salary—by moving into an advanced teaching role, getting certified to teach additional subjects, becoming a school or district leader, working on education policy… The sky’s the limit!
Want to learn more about career growth possibilities for teachers? Visit our Teacher Career Path Guide for more ideas and options.
Want to stay in the classroom?
As a classroom teacher, you can grow into specialized leadership roles, such as a peer observer or mentor teacher position.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) describes a mentor teacher as an educator “who has demonstrated outstanding teaching and school leadership and who can provide exemplary modeling and counseling.
Mentor teachers are key leaders to help student teachers and early career teachers build their skills. These leadership roles also come with extra pay. For example, you could earn:
- Up to $1,200 to become a mentor teacher in Houston ISD (8)
- $500 to mentor a first-year teacher in Spring Branch ISD (9)
Interested in opportunities outside the classroom?
After you have some teaching jobs under your belt, you might be curious about shifting your career focus. School or district leadership positions can be a great next step. Assistant principals, principals, curriculum coordinators and superintendents all help Houston schools and districts run smoothly to support teachers and students.
These administrative roles also come with their own salary schedules and salary bumps. For example, you could earn:
- $63K-$110K to be an elementary school assistant principal in Aldine ISD
- $85K-$136K to be a middle school principal in Aldine ISD (8)
- $67K-$103K to be dean of students or an assistant principal in Houston ISD (10)
- $108K-$173K to be an elementary school principal in Pasadena ISD
- $131K-$190K to be a high school principal in Pasadena ISD (11)
Have more questions about teaching in Houston? A TEACH for Houston coach can tell you all about teacher salaries, teaching programs and more. Visit TEACH for Houston coaching page to set up a free coaching session.
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References
- HISD board approves bigger-than-expected pay raise for teachers, June 10, 2021.
- National Education Association. “Teacher Pay and Spending: How Does Your State Rank?” April 23, 2021.
- About TIA. Teacher Incentive Allotment. TIATexas.org.
- Salary Finder, CareerOneStop. U.S. Department of Labor. CareerOneStop.org.
- Retirement Eligibility Requirements. Teacher Retirement System of Texas. TRS.Texas.gov.
- Careers With Most Openings, CareerOneStop. U.S. Department of Labor. CareerOneStop.org.
- Texas Teacher Shortage Area Report 2021-2022. Teacher Shortage Areas, U.S. Department of Education. TSA.Ed.gov.
- HISD Compensation Manual 2021-2022. Houston Independent School District. HoustonISD.org.
- 2021-2022 Extra Duty Stipends. Spring Branch Independent School District. SpringBranchISD.com.
- 2021-2022 Assistant Principal and Deans Salary Tables. Houston Independent School District. HoustonISD.org.
- Administrative Salary Schedule. Pasadena Independent School District. PasadenaISD.org.