Teacher Salaries See Modest Nominal Gains, But Real Earnings Continue to Slide
The average public school teacher salary for the 2024-25 school year is $74,495, a 3.5% increase from the prior year. However, this nominal gain is not keeping pace with the cost of living. After adjusting for inflation, teacher earnings are estimated to have declined by nearly 5% since 2017.
"In current dollars, pay appears to have risen, but after adjustment, real earnings declined by approximately 5% for teachers."
Only 11 states saw inflation-adjusted increases over that period, with Washington leading at 36% due to a state supreme court ruling on school funding.
Starting Salaries and Support Staff Also Feel the Squeeze
- New teacher average salary: $48,112, up 3.4% year-over-year, but inflation-adjusted growth is below 1%.
- Support staff average salary: $36,360, a $1,400 increase from last year, but inflation-adjusted pay has dropped by $2,344 since 2016.
State Salary Rankings (2024-25)
Note: Data is not adjusted for cost of living.
Highest Average Salaries Lowest Average Salaries California ($103,552) Mississippi ($54,975) New York ($98,655) Florida ($56,663) Washington ($96,589) Louisiana ($56,785) Highest Starting Salaries Lowest Starting Salaries District of Columbia ($64,640) Montana ($36,682) Washington ($60,658) Nebraska ($39,561) California ($59,424) Missouri ($40,682)Impact of Collective Bargaining
States with collective bargaining laws have higher average starting and top salaries than those without. Furthermore, support staff in these states earn 13% more on average.
Student Enrollment and Classroom Dynamics
Student enrollment continues to decline, down 0.3% from fall 2023 and 3.6% since 2016. Researchers estimate enrollment dipped another 1% between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.
The national student-to-teacher ratio stands at 15.1:1, with state averages ranging widely from 10:1 to 22:1.
School Funding: A Shifting Landscape
Federal funds account for 7.8% of school revenue in 2023-24, but this is projected to decrease to an estimated 7.3% in 2024-25 due to the end of COVID-19 relief funds.
Current funding sources for schools (2025):
- State governments: 47%
- Local governments (including property taxes): ~45%
- Federal government: ~7.3%
States where the federal share is estimated at 10% or more:
Kentucky (17.5%), Alaska (16.5%), New Mexico (14.1%), Louisiana (14.1%), Arkansas (13%), South Dakota (12.4%), West Virginia (11.9%), Mississippi (11.8%), Montana (11.4%), South Carolina (10.8%), Tennessee (10.6%), Alabama (10.3%), Arizona (10.3%), Florida (10.2%)