Teachers and Instructors, All Other Salary — Modesto, California

The average Teachers and Instructors, All Other in Modesto, California earns $98,150 a year.

$98,150 / year, mean
↑ 30.6% above national average 92th percentile in California

Modesto sits at the very top of the range for this role in California — among the highest-paying cities in the state for this occupation. That's a substantial premium — this metro pays far more for teachers and instructors, all other than the U.S. average. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within California

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
290
Estimate confidence
RSE 3.9%
Cost of living 104 #25 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2124 #140 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $468,302 #30 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $79,661 #52 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Modesto ranks #25 for cost of living and #30 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

Kiryas Joel $125,450 Salinas $123,230 Napa $101,890 Baltimore $99,250 Modesto $98,150 Salisbury $95,060 Fresno $94,170 Seattle $91,940 Riverside $91,550 Los Angeles $91,470 Chico $91,460 Stockton $90,900 Santa Rosa $90,730 Hanford $88,870 Wildwood $88,300 Portland $88,170 San Jose $87,090 Bakersfield $86,860 Yuba City $86,660 San Diego $86,390 Santa Cruz $86,010 Sacramento $85,910 Merced $85,820 San Francisco $84,920 Virginia Beach $84,100 Vallejo $83,560 Buffalo $83,390 El Centro $82,870 New York $82,200 Santa Maria $81,740 Kennewick $81,290 Visalia $81,140 Hagerstown $80,430 Bend $80,020 Killeen $79,960 Oxnard $78,950 Olympia $78,590 Crestview $78,570 San Luis Obispo $78,090 Harrisburg $77,690 Richmond $77,600 Lexington $76,850 Albany $76,800 Winchester $76,190 Pensacola $74,870 Spokane $74,300 San Angelo $74,250 Charlottesville $73,800 Wichita Falls $73,410 San Antonio $73,070 Philadelphia $72,770 Rochester $72,450 Sarasota $72,290 Chicago $72,260 Utica $71,760 Gainesville $70,490 South Bend $68,660 Beckley $68,600 Trenton $68,130 Yakima $66,810 Panama City $66,040 Salem $65,630 Saginaw $65,220 Abilene $65,010 Morgantown $64,350 Beaumont $64,200 Eugene $64,200 Midland $63,970 El Paso $62,950 Elizabethtown $61,140 Huntington $61,010 Tampa $60,840 Ann Arbor $60,730 Pittsburgh $60,650 Louisville $60,480 Detroit $60,440 Fort Wayne $60,320 Atlantic City $60,190 Amarillo $60,090 Grand Rapids $59,590 Waco $59,420 Muskegon $59,390 Lexington Park $58,730 Tallahassee $58,730 Roanoke $58,370 York $57,950 Flint $56,830 Indianapolis $56,480 Sebastian $56,260 Lansing $55,720 Peoria $55,240 Palm Bay $54,760 Scranton $54,450 Jacksonville $54,330 Brownsville $54,320 Miami $54,280 Kalamazoo $54,210 Allentown $53,860 College Station $53,040 Austin $52,800 McAllen $52,530 Naples $52,230 Dallas $51,940 Lafayette $51,740 Bloomington $51,040 Port St. Lucie $50,770 Deltona $50,680 Ocala $49,760 Lakeland $49,750 Charleston $49,370 Fort Myers $48,810 Corpus Christi $48,340 Orlando $47,730 Owensboro $45,390 Houston $43,610 Bowling Green $42,520
CityMean salaryvs. Modesto
Abilene, Texas$65,010-33.8%
Albany, New York$76,800-21.8%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$53,860-45.1%
Amarillo, Texas$60,090-38.8%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$60,730-38.1%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$60,190-38.7%
Austin, Texas$52,800-46.2%
Bakersfield, California$86,860-11.5%
Baltimore, Maryland$99,250+1.1%
Beaumont, Texas$64,200-34.6%
Beckley, West Virginia$68,600-30.1%
Bend, Oregon$80,020-18.5%
Bloomington, Indiana$51,040-48.0%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$42,520-56.7%
Brownsville, Texas$54,320-44.7%
Buffalo, New York$83,390-15.0%
Fort Myers, Florida$48,810-50.3%
Charleston, West Virginia$49,370-49.7%
Charlottesville, Virginia$73,800-24.8%
Chicago, Illinois$72,260-26.4%
Chico, California$91,460-6.8%
College Station, Texas$53,040-46.0%
Corpus Christi, Texas$48,340-50.7%
Crestview, Florida$78,570-19.9%
Dallas, Texas$51,940-47.1%
Deltona, Florida$50,680-48.4%
Detroit, Michigan$60,440-38.4%
El Centro, California$82,870-15.6%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$61,140-37.7%
El Paso, Texas$62,950-35.9%
Eugene, Oregon$64,200-34.6%
Flint, Michigan$56,830-42.1%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$60,320-38.5%
Fresno, California$94,170-4.1%
Gainesville, Florida$70,490-28.2%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$59,590-39.3%
Hagerstown, Maryland$80,430-18.1%
Hanford, California$88,870-9.5%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$77,690-20.8%
Houston, Texas$43,610-55.6%
Huntington, West Virginia$61,010-37.8%
Indianapolis, Indiana$56,480-42.5%
Jacksonville, Florida$54,330-44.6%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$54,210-44.8%
Kennewick, Washington$81,290-17.2%
Killeen, Texas$79,960-18.5%
Kiryas Joel, New York$125,450+27.8%
Lafayette, Indiana$51,740-47.3%
Lakeland, Florida$49,750-49.3%
Lansing, Michigan$55,720-43.2%
Lexington, Kentucky$76,850-21.7%
Lexington Park, Maryland$58,730-40.2%
Los Angeles, California$91,470-6.8%
Louisville, Kentucky$60,480-38.4%
McAllen, Texas$52,530-46.5%
Merced, California$85,820-12.6%
Miami, Florida$54,280-44.7%
Midland, Texas$63,970-34.8%
Morgantown, West Virginia$64,350-34.4%
Muskegon, Michigan$59,390-39.5%
Napa, California$101,890+3.8%
Naples, Florida$52,230-46.8%
New York, New York$82,200-16.3%
Sarasota, Florida$72,290-26.3%
Ocala, Florida$49,760-49.3%
Olympia, Washington$78,590-19.9%
Orlando, Florida$47,730-51.4%
Owensboro, Kentucky$45,390-53.8%
Oxnard, California$78,950-19.6%
Palm Bay, Florida$54,760-44.2%
Panama City, Florida$66,040-32.7%
Pensacola, Florida$74,870-23.7%
Peoria, Illinois$55,240-43.7%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$72,770-25.9%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$60,650-38.2%
Portland, Oregon$88,170-10.2%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$50,770-48.3%
Richmond, Virginia$77,600-20.9%
Riverside, California$91,550-6.7%
Roanoke, Virginia$58,370-40.5%
Rochester, New York$72,450-26.2%
Sacramento, California$85,910-12.5%
Saginaw, Michigan$65,220-33.6%
Salem, Oregon$65,630-33.1%
Salinas, California$123,230+25.6%
Salisbury, Maryland$95,060-3.1%
San Angelo, Texas$74,250-24.4%
San Antonio, Texas$73,070-25.6%
San Diego, California$86,390-12.0%
San Francisco, California$84,920-13.5%
San Jose, California$87,090-11.3%
San Luis Obispo, California$78,090-20.4%
Santa Cruz, California$86,010-12.4%
Santa Maria, California$81,740-16.7%
Santa Rosa, California$90,730-7.6%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$54,450-44.5%
Seattle, Washington$91,940-6.3%
Sebastian, Florida$56,260-42.7%
South Bend, Indiana$68,660-30.0%
Spokane, Washington$74,300-24.3%
Stockton, California$90,900-7.4%
Tallahassee, Florida$58,730-40.2%
Tampa, Florida$60,840-38.0%
Trenton, New Jersey$68,130-30.6%
Utica, New York$71,760-26.9%
Vallejo, California$83,560-14.9%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$84,100-14.3%
Visalia, California$81,140-17.3%
Waco, Texas$59,420-39.5%
Wichita Falls, Texas$73,410-25.2%
Wildwood, Florida$88,300-10.0%
Winchester, Virginia$76,190-22.4%
Yakima, Washington$66,810-31.9%
York, Pennsylvania$57,950-41.0%
Yuba City, California$86,660-11.7%
Gross salary
98,150/yr
Estimated take-home
72,843/yr
Est. total withheld
25.8%

Single filer, federal + California state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Teachers and Instructors, All Other salaries in California → All Teachers and Instructors, All Other salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for Modesto

These notes add local color around Modesto, California: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 25-3099 SOC code
Official area Modesto, CA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 33700 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ca_ftb_verificado 2025
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: California

Population (metro area)
552,250