A teaching certification in Maryland is typically more financially rewarding than earning a teacher certification through another state. A March 2012 piece by The Washington Post reported that the average salary for a Maryland certified teacher was $63,634 per year. Maryland newspaper The Star Democrat reported that 2012 was the second straight year in which average teacher salaries dropped, by $326 per year between 2012 and 2011.
Maryland’s State Department of Education publishes salary schedules for the 24 county public school systems within the state. Fulfilling the basic teaching requirements in Maryland for a bachelor’s degree will earn a first-year teacher anywhere from $40,400 per year up to $46,561 per year.
Students interested in becoming a teacher in Maryland should research official wage statistics in addition to consulting the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data below. More often than not, average salaries in Maryland are greater than U.S. averages for the same position.
| Occupation | Annual mean wage in Maryland | Annual mean wage in U.S. |
| Business Teachers, Postsecondary | $84,270 | $86,620 |
| Physics Teachers Postsecondary | $110,290 | $86,730 |
| Psychology Teachers Postsecondary | $80,500 | $74,890 |
| Education Teachers Postsecondary | $73,620 | $65,050 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers Postsecondary | $72,660 | $68,760 |
| Preschool Teachers Except Special Education | $31,520 | $30,150 |
| Kindergarten Teachers Except Special Education | $43,940 | $52,350 |
| Elementary School Teachers Except Special Education | $63,260 | $55,270 |
| Middle School Teachers Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $67,380 | $55,780 |
| Secondary School Teachers Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $64,650 | $56,760 |
| Special Education Teachers Preschool Kindergarten and Elementary School | $63,430 | $56,460 |
| Special Education Teachers Middle School | $74,490 | $58,420 |
| Special Education Teachers Secondary School | $65,830 | $59,080 |
In Maryland, higher teacher wages are often seen outside of the largest metropolitan areas. Teachers in Baltimore County, which includes the capital city, earn less on average than teachers in the smaller counties of Montgomery, Howard, Frederick, Anne Arundel, and Prince George. The following salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is current as of May 2011.
| City | Annual mean wage |
| Baltimore-Towson, MD | $58,140 |
| Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick MD Metropolitan Division | $61,940 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | $60,480 |
Helpful Resources
- Maryland State Education Association – Salaries and Benefits
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Annual salary data on education, training and library positions in Maryland
- Maryland State Department of Education – 2010-2011 Staff Publications