SalaryExplorer

SOC 25-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education — Odessa

Odessa, TX · 10 metro areas compared

$30,250 /year
$14.54per hour
170jobs in area
−20.7%vs US median

In Odessa, TX the median wage is $30,250.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $38,14010TH$27,040MEDIAN$30,25075TH$38,58090TH$44,010

How pay has moved

$69,555$19,90520192020202120222025$30,250
$39,960 in 2019 to $30,250 in 2025, -24.3% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+4.1%
Openings per year
65,500
Typical entry-level education
Associate's degree

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Odessa, TX.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Odessa, TX the median wage is $30,250. That is 20.7% lower than the national median of $38,140. Pay ranges from under $27,040 at the tenth percentile to more than $44,010 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $27,990 to $38,580.

Employment stands at 170, or 2.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Austin records the highest median at $36,160. Of the 241 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 222nd.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Odessa, TX · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$27,040−29.1%
25th$27,990−26.6%
Median (50th)$30,250−20.7%
75th$38,580+1.2%
90th$44,010+15.4%
Mean$33,910−11.1%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Texas

Median annual wage for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Austin$36,1604,280
2Dallas$35,19011,100
3Midland$35,100180
4San Antonio$34,2103,450
5Houston$33,86011,000
6Beaumont$32,270460
7Killeen$31,280520
8Wichita Falls$30,480150
9El Paso$30,030960
10Amarillo$29,700320

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Odessa run 6.1% below the national average, so the median of $30,250 goes as far as $32,215 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 15.5% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$30,250as reported by BLS

Local price level

93.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$32,215US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $30,250 a year, 20.7% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $27,040 to $44,010 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 170 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Austin, at $36,160.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education in Odessa, TX?

The median annual wage is $30,250, or $14.54 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $38,140, so pay in Odessa, TX is 20.7% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Odessa, TX earns more than $44,010 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $27,040 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Austin, at $36,160 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 170 jobs in this occupation in Odessa, TX. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education Salary in Odessa, TX (2025): $30,250 Median | Salary Explorer