Salary comparison
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education: Fresno vs Seattle
Fresno, CA pays about 1.6% more for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education on paper — $104,250 vs $102,560. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Fresno comes out ahead by $1,690 a year in real buying power.
Fresno, CA
$104,250
$78,860
$104,780
$50.12
100
$104,250/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Seattle, WA
$102,560
$81,890
$126,860
$49.31
100
$102,560/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $1,690 a year (1.6%) in favor of Fresno. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Fresno runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Seattle sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Fresno is the better deal by $1,690 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Seattle to Fresno for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.6% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education earn more, Fresno or Seattle?
Fresno pays $104,250 on median — about 1.6% more than Seattle ($102,560). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Fresno. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Fresno gives you roughly$104,250 of real buying power versus $102,560 in the other city.