Elementary and Secondary Schools — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the elementary and secondary schools industry earns $51,708 per year ($24.86/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Elementary and Secondary Schools Workers Earn?
At $51,708/year (equivalent to $24.86/hour for a full-time worker), elementary and secondary schools wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical elementary and secondary schools business employs 44 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average elementary and secondary schools business generating $4.5M/year with 44 employees at $51,708 each, total payroll represents roughly 51.1% of revenue. This is a labor-intensive industry — payroll is the dominant expense.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a elementary and secondary schoolsbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $67,220/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 44 employees = ~$2,275,152/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $24.86/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $4.5M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Elementary and Secondary Schools revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do elementary and secondary schools employees make?
- The average elementary and secondary schools employee earns $51,708 per year, which is equivalent to $24.86/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the elementary and secondary schools industry?
- The elementary and secondary schools industry employs 934,096 workers across 21,289 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 44 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).