Report Shows Teacher Pay in the State and Around the Nation Lag Behind Inflation

Friday, May 3rd, 2024 -- 12:01 PM

Annual reports from NEA examine educator pay and, school funding from pre-K through college, show that salaries continue to lag woefully behind inflation over the past decade.

The national average public school teacher salary in 2022-23 increased 4.1% from the previous year to $69,544 and is projected to grow a further 3.1% in 2023-24. However, even with record-level increases in some states, average teacher pay has failed to keep up with inflation over the past decade.

Adjusted for inflation, on average, teachers are making 5% less than they did 10 years ago. The national average beginning teacher salary was $44,530.  At 3.9%, the increase in the average starting salary was the largest in the 14 years that NEA has been tracking teacher salary benchmarks.

However, when adjusted for inflation, the starting teacher salaries are now $4,273 below the 2008-2009 levels. Chronic low pay is plaguing the profession. A staggering 77% of U.S. school districts still pay a starting salary below $50,000 (28.6% start out teachers at less than $40,000), while teacher salaries top out over $100,000 in only 16.6% of districts.

The starting salary of teachers in states with a bargaining law is $1,653 more than in states without a bargaining law. Top pay is $12,998 higher in states with bargaining in states where there are bargaining laws covering ESPs, the average earnings is $38,167, compared to states where bargaining is prohibited, the average ESP earnings is $32,308.

The average starting salary for teachers in Wisconsin is $41,151, ranking it 38th in that nation. The average teacher salary comes in $62,524 ranking it 25th in the nation.

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