Published: April 23, 2021
Last Updated: April 21, 2023
NEA’s annual reports on educator pay, which provide data covering everything from the average teacher salary to state spending on students, show that the current educator shortage—when coupled with other factors such as the pandemic and the chronic underfunding of public education—is real.
And, unless we reverse course and start treating educators and the professions they represent with respect, it will have a direct impact on students.
The four NEA reports are:
- Rankings and Estimates provides a wide array of school funding statistics and includes the average teacher salary by state and nationally.
- Teacher Salary Benchmark Report provides information from nearly 12,000 local school districts on starting teacher salaries and salaries at other points of the teaching career continuum.
- ESP Earnings Report offers a breakdown of educational support professional (ESP) earnings for K-12 and higher education.
- Higher Education Faculty Salary Analysis looks at faculty and graduate assistant salaries at the national, state, and institutional level.
National Averages
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Teachers make on average $2,150 less than they did 10 years ago, adjusted for inflation.
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After nearly catching up, starting teacher salaries adjusted for inflation sunk to its lowest level since the Great Recession.
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Education support professionals are earning less than they did 10 years ago, when adjusted for inflation.
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Public sector workers in states with collective bargaining are closer to pay parity with other workers than in states without bargaining.
Economic Policy Institute
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In the past year, starting teacher pay in states with collective bargaining increased more than in states without bargaining.
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Union ESPs have the power to negotiate for better pay.
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Teachers earn 25% more on average in states with collective bargaining.
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Key Findings
Highlights from this year’s reports, which include national and state-by-state averages, include:
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