"Is $74,000 a “reasonable” salary for a professional in Los Angeles (or for those professionals who make less)? Mercedes says she makes $60,000 after many years of teaching in Louisiana. Is that reasonable? It would be unreasonable in Los Angeles or D.C. or New York City.Well, read it. It’s Mercedes doing what she does best: using her razor-sharp intellect to dissect condescension. She zeroes in on the issue of teacher salary. The average pay for teachers in Los Angeles is $74,000. She notes that Rick Hess of the rightwing think tank American Enterprise Institute sees that number as “reasonable,” and that sets Mercedes off."