The Salary of a First-Year High School Science Teacher

High school science teachers provide students with foundational knowledge in the sciences.

High school science teachers play an important role in the educational development of students by providing them with the basic science knowledge they need to be successful in college. Salaries earned by high school science teachers vary by state because each state determines its own teacher salary structure. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 1 million teachers employed in high schools across the United States in 2010. Salaries can vary by experience, in addition to location.

Salary Determination

Salaries for teachers in each state are determined by the state's board of education and the salary schedule that the board has established. In most states, teachers are not paid for the specific subject they teach, but rather on the basis of what level of degree they hold and how many years of experience they have working in the field. Therefore, salary information for high school teachers provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics generally holds true for high school science teachers as well. However, some exceptions to the rule do exist. For instance, some states like Georgia offer additional pay to math and science teachers to attract talented teaching candidates from inside and outside the state.

Starting Salaries

Starting salaries for first-year high school science teachers tend to be toward the bottom of the payscale, since most states award teacher pay based on experience and education level. In many states, experience plays more of a role in differentiating pay than does the degree held by teachers. For instance, teachers in Oklahoma with a master's degree only make about $1,000 more per year over someone with a bachelor's degree. The BLS indicates that the lowest-paid teachers nationwide made less than $35,020 per year in 2010, while the lower 25 percent made $42,670 or less. First-year high school science teachers generally make salaries in one of these two ranges, although exceptions to the rule can occur.

Earning Potential

The earning potential for high school science teachers and teachers in other subjects generally goes far beyond the starting salary range. This is evidenced by the average salary for those working in this field, which was $55,990 per year in 2010, according to the BLS. The median salary for high school teachers was $53,230, with the upper 25 percent of all teachers earning more than $67,210 per year. The top-paid teachers nationwide earned more than $83,230 working at the high school level.

Job Outlook

Job growth will occur at a steady pace for high school teachers in the decade from 2008 to 2018, according to projections made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau indicates that the number of jobs for high school teachers should grow by about 13 percent during this time due to the increasingly large size of the population and the number of children attaining the age necessary to attend high school. More teachers will be needed to keep up with these population demands.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Teachers—Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: 25-2031 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
• "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"; Better Pay for Ga. Math, Science Teachers?; Nancy Badertscher; 2011
• Oklahoma State Department of Education: Teacher Salary Schedule