Average Salary of a Public School Teacher

The average public school teacher makes over $50,000 per year.

Public school teachers provide a vital service teaching 50 million children in the U.S. every year according to the National Education Association in 2009. The NEA indicates that most teachers start out making at least $40,000 per year, but teacher pay also depends on different factors and changes over time.

Average

The average annual salary of all public school teachers in America was just over $54,000 for the 2007-2008 school year, according to the National Education Association. These teachers spent an average of almost 53 hours a week on teaching activities to obtain this pay.

Inflation

The salary of public school teachers decreased an average of one percent from 1998 to 2008, according to the NEA. In comparison, inflation rose over 31 percent in this same time period.

Location

Public school teachers make more money for their work depending on where they live. High-paying states include California and New York, where teachers make $62,000 or more, according to the NEA. Teachers in states such as North Dakota and Utah only make about $40,000 per year.

Benefits

Public school teachers receive benefits such as health insurance and retirement accounts. These benefits tend to be above the level seen in the private sector though the advantages of this may be offset by lower wages in comparison to other comparable professions, according to the NEA.

References

• NEA: Professional Pay
• NEA: Celebrating National Teacher Day With a Wary Eye on the Future
• NEA: Inflation Continues to Outpace Teacher Salary Growth
• NEA: NEA VP: Face of America Changing But Education Remains Key to Opportunity
• NEA: Myths and Facts About Educator Pay

Resources

• NEA: Myths and Facts About Education Support Professional Pay