Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in West Virginia
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$45,197
after federal, FICA and West Virginia tax
Tax takes
$10,433
18.8% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$50,346
West Virginia costs less than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in West Virginia — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$55,630
Kept after tax
$45,197
Worth in national money
$50,346
State rank
45
of 51 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- Pay for this job is on the low side in West Virginia. The middle earner gets $55,630. That is 45 of 51 states, and about 13.04% under the national figure. Whether that matters depends on what things cost here.
- Against other work in West Virginia, this sits in the middle: 198 of 473 occupations with published pay. Solidly ordinary for the state, which is not the same as ordinary nationally.
- Here is where West Virginia does better than its wage suggests. From a median of $55,630 you keep $45,197, and because things cost less here than the national average, that behaves like $50,346 would elsewhere. The average is lower, $54,890, so pay clusters nearer the top than usual.
- For elementary school teachers, except special education, West Virginia sits in the lower band at $55,630, ranking 45 of 51 and trailing the national median by about 13.04%. Nominal rankings routinely invert once tax and regional price level are applied, so this position should not be read as the conclusion.
- Elementary school teachers, except special education ranks 198 of 473 occupations in West Virginia by median pay, in the middle bands. Within-state and national positions are separate measurements and a job commonly sits in different quartiles on each.
- After federal, FICA and West Virginia income tax, retained pay for elementary school teachers, except special education on $55,630 is $45,197. Deflating by the state's price level — below the national average — gives $50,346 in national-average terms. ⚠️ That figure is purchasing power, not a wage, and nobody is paid it; it is what the take-home buys. The mean of $54,890 falls below the median, a left skew that is uncommon in wage data.
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Pay band: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $48,080 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $55,630 |
| Top tenth earn over | $60,790 |
| This salary | $55,630 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in West Virginia | $45,197 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $46,879 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | −$2,105 |
The raise and the real gain point in opposite directions here.
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $53,537 |
|---|---|
| Raise you would need | +$2,546 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 90 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Half the people doing this work in West Virginia earn less than $55,630. The published range is $48,080 up to $60,790, so an individual figure can sit a long way from the middle in either direction.
- In West Virginia the take-home figure of $45,197, from $55,630, assumes one filer, no dependants, and nothing paid into a pension before tax. Each of those lowers the bill, so treat it as the plain case. City and school-district income taxes are not included either, and in a few states those are real money. It ranks 198 of 473 occupations here.
- One number stands for prices across all of West Virginia, which is a simplification — big cities cost far more than small towns. Read $50,346, the adjusted value of that $55,630 median, as a way to compare states fairly, not as a quote for any particular place. The two datasets are also from different years. This job sits at 198 of 473 in the state.
- Reported values are medians; for elementary school teachers, except special education in West Virginia the tenth-to-ninetieth percentile band is $48,080 to $60,790. Neither the median nor the band is an offer rate, and neither accounts for hours, shift differentials or overtime.
- Take-home for West Virginia is computed for a single filer taking the standard deduction with no dependants and no pre-tax contributions, giving $45,197 from $55,630. Each omitted item reduces taxable income, so the figure is a lower bound on retained pay for this household shape. Municipal and school-district income taxes are excluded, which understates the burden materially in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The occupation ranks 198 of 473 locally.
- Price deflation uses one statewide parity for West Virginia, so $50,346 — the adjusted value of that $55,630 median — establishes comparability between states rather than accuracy within one. The wage and parity series are dated independently, each following its own publication cycle, and neither is projected forward. This occupation sits at 198 of 473 locally.
Questions people ask
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
The range here is narrow. From $48,080 at the bottom tenth to $60,790 at the top, pay for this work clusters rather than spreads.
What does this pay actually buy where I live?
A smaller wage in a cheaper place is not automatically less. Adjusted for local prices, this is worth $50,346.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Four deductions, stacked. The federal layer and the two payroll taxes apply wherever you work; West Virginia then takes its own share, leaving $45,197.
Can I compare this job across every state?
All 51 jurisdictions report this work, which makes the ranking a like-for-like one.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($48,080 to $60,790) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to West Virginia rather than a national figure.
What is this occupation's price-adjusted compensation in this state?
West Virginia's regional price parity is at or below the national average, so nominal wages understate purchasing power. Take-home deflated by the state price level is $50,346 in national-average terms. The adjustment uses an all-items index and does not isolate housing.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $45,197 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and West Virginia income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Is this occupation's state coverage complete?
State-level estimates are published for all 51 jurisdictions for this occupation, so cross-state comparison is not confounded by suppression. ⚠️ Estimates remain survey-based and carry sampling error; small differences between adjacent states should not be over-read.