Teacher Salaries Rise Nationally but Lag Inflation, NEA Report Shows
Similar Articles
Student Math Scores Show Broad Improvement, Reading Recovery Mixed
Education Budget Proposes Funding Shifts for Disability and Civil Rights Programs
Education Department Downsizes and Shifts Programs Under New Budget
Research Links Diverse Peer Groups to Higher Graduate Earnings
May Day Protests Planned Nationwide as Educators Rally for Funding
The average U.S. public school teacher salary increased to $74,495 last year, a 3.5% rise, according to a new National Education Association (NEA) report. However, when adjusted for inflation, teachers' real earnings have declined by nearly 5% since 2017. The report also details state-by-state salary disparities, enrollment trends, and the sources of school funding.
Facts First
- Average teacher salary rose to $74,495, a 3.5% increase from the previous year.
- Real earnings for teachers have declined by nearly 5% since 2017 when adjusted for inflation.
- Starting teacher pay averages $48,112, with wide variation between states.
- Public school enrollment declined by 0.3% last fall and has dropped 3.6% since 2016.
- Federal share of school funding is estimated at 7.3% this year, down from pandemic highs.
What Happened
The National Education Association (NEA) released a review of school data showing the average public school teacher salary increased to $74,495 last school year, a 3.5% nominal rise. Approximately 3.2 million teachers worked in U.S. public schools. Adjusted for inflation, NEA researchers estimate teachers' real earnings have declined by nearly 5% compared to 2017. The report also covers salaries for support staff, which averaged $36,360 last year, and student enrollment, which dipped by 0.3% from the previous fall.
Why this Matters to You
If you have children in public school, the data suggests teacher compensation is not keeping pace with inflation, which may affect teacher retention and the quality of education your child receives. The wide disparity in salaries between states—from over $103,000 in California to under $55,000 in Mississippi—means the financial stability of your local teaching workforce depends heavily on where you live. The slight decline in student enrollment might lead to changes in school funding formulas or class sizes in your district over time. For support staff like bus drivers and cafeteria workers, whose real pay has also dropped, this could mean higher turnover and potential disruptions to school services.
What's Next
The winding down of federal COVID-19 relief funds is likely to continue affecting school budgets, with the federal share of funding estimated to have dipped to 7.3% this year. States where federal support makes up a larger portion of funding, such as Kentucky and Alaska, may face more significant budgetary challenges. The data on collective bargaining suggests that legislative decisions on this issue could continue to influence teacher and staff pay scales. School districts may need to address the ongoing decline in real wages to attract and retain qualified educators.