Whether they're instructing school kids on gymnastics, physical fitness or basketball, physical education teachers are responsible for helping students develop strength, agility, flexibility and endurance. Following their schools' curricula, physical education teachers plan activities for students and instruct them on sports' rules and regulations. They also teach health education classes. If you want to work as a physical education teacher with a master's degree, you can expect to earn an average salary between $45,000 and $50,000 annually.

Salary Over $45,000

The average annual salary for a physical education teacher with a master's degree was $46,000 as of 2013, according to the job site Simply Hired. To become a physical education teacher, you typically need the minimum of a bachelor's degree in physical education. You must also pass an examination through your state to earn your physical education teacher's certification and license. Other important qualifications are physical strength, stamina and patience and instructional and communication skills.

Top Pay in D.C.

In 2013, average salaries for physical education teachers with master's degrees varied the most in the South region, according to Simply Hired, where they earned the lowest salaries of $36,000 in Mississippi and the highest of $72,000 in Washington, D.C. If you worked as a physical education teacher with a master's degree in South Dakota or Minnesota, you'd earn an average of $36,000 or $49,000, respectively -- the lowest and highest salaries in the Midwest. In the Northeast, you'd make $41,000 to $56,000 per year in Maine or Massachusetts, respectively. In the West, these teachers earned the least in Montana and the most in California or Alaska at $37,000 and $52,000, respectively.

Earn Less Than Teachers

While physical education teachers with master's degrees averaged $46,000 in 2013, the job site Indeed reported average annual salaries of $41,000 for all physical education teachers. By comparison, high school teachers made $57,770 per year on average as of May 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Middle school teachers averaged $56,280 annually, the BLS reported.

Below Average to Average Job Outlook

The BLS doesn't forecast jobs for physical education teachers. It estimates a 17 percent increase in employment for middle school teachers through 2020, which is statistically about average. Increases in school enrollments are expected to produce most of the jobs in middle schools. Most schools have fewer physical education teachers than other types of teachers, but you may still find more job opportunities in middle schools with increasing enrollments. The BLS forecasts only a 7 percent increase in jobs for teachers in high schools during this decade, a below average growth rate.