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Andre Mathis

ESP Earnings 2023

Education Support Professionals' Pay
NEA’s ESP Earnings Report offers a breakdown of educational support professional (ESP) earnings for K-12 and higher education.

Key Takeaways

  1. More than a third of all ESPs working full-time earn less than $25,000 per year, and 11.7% earn less than $15,000.
  2. Among K-12 ESPs working full-time, 13% earn less than $15,000. Within higher education, nearly 7% earned less than $15,000.

$35,401

Average earnings for education support professionals

25%

7% reported utilizing free grocery or free meal programs, 7% participate in Medicaid and 4% utilize SNAP benefits.
More than a quarter of PK-12 ESP have reported participating in or utilizing federal assistance programs.

ESP Earnings

This report provides earnings data for education support professionals (ESPs) working in K–12 schools and higher education institutions.

The data are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), a large, continuously-collected survey that uses a nationwide sample.

As a result, the data presented here provide a picture of ESPs working in public schools as a whole rather than NEA’s ESP membership.

Earnings averages are calculated using five years of ACS data (2016-2020), while other tables use three years of data (2018-20). Earnings data are adjusted to 2021 dollars and are termed 2021–2022 to reflect the academic calendar.

Key Findings

There are over 3.0 million education support professionals (ESPs) working in public education, 75% of whom work in K–12 schools, and 25% of whom work at higher education institutions.
In K–12 schools, the most common career family for ESPs is paraeducator (40.3%), followed by clerical (16%) and custodial (15.3%). For higher education, clerical positions are the most common (38%), followed by paraeducators, which includes graduate assistants (19.3%) and technical services (15.1%).
More than three-quarters of all ESPs work full-time, which is defined as 30 or more hours per week. This is slightly higher for those working at K–12 schools (79.6%) and slightly lower in higher education (64.4%).
Among ESPs working full-time, average earnings in 2021-22 were $35,401. This average was slightly lower for K–12 ($33,177) and higher in higher education ($44,292).
More than a third of all ESPs working full-time earn less than $25,000 per year, and 11.7% earn less than $15,000. Among those working in K–12 schools, 39.6% earn less than $25,000, and 13% earn less than $15,000. Within higher education, 16.4% earn less than $25,000, and 6.9 percent earn less than $15,000.
The average earnings for ESP has risen from $31,905 in 2012-13 to $35,401 in 2021-22. When adjusted for inflation, the salary for ESP in 2013 dollars has fallen from $31,905 to $28,734.
In states where there are bargaining laws covering ESPs, the average salary is $37,695. In states that do not have a bargaining law but bargaining may take place, average ESP earnings is $32,992. In states where bargaining is prohibited, average ESP earnings is $31,497.
In a recent NEA survey, more than a quarter of PK-12 ESP have reported participating in or utilizing federal assistance programs. 7% reported utilizing free grocery or free meal programs, 7% participate in Medicaid and 4% utilize SNAP benefits.
A little over one-fifth of PK-12 ESP do not work a full 12-month contract. At the end of the school year, they are laid off, and only 8% of those ESP are eligible for unemployment benefits during the time that they are laid off.

Charts

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K-12 ESP Earnings

State Salary 2020-21 Rank 2020-21 Salary 2021-22 Rank 2021-22 2020-21 to 2021-22 Percent Change 2020-21 to 2021-22 Change Rank
Alabama $28,418 40 $28,708 41 1.0% 23
Alaska $43,845 2 $42,241 3 -3.8% 51
Arizona $28,492 39 $29,079 40 2.0% 14
Arkansas $27,802 42 $28,050 44 0.9% 26
California $39,005 7 $39,321 7 0.8% 28
Colorado $31,674 26 $32,574 22 2.8% 9
Connecticut $39,492 6 $39,502 6 0.0% 39
Delaware $44,738 1 $43,543 2 -2.7% 49
District of Columbia $40,794 3 $43,811 1 6.9% 1
Florida $30,775 28 $31,286 27 1.6% 18
Georgia $29,296 36 $29,616 35 1.1% 22
Hawaii $38,515 9 $38,984 8 1.2% 21
Idaho $25,830 51 $26,681 49 3.2% 6
Illinois $34,289 14 $34,814 14 1.5% 19
Indiana $29,355 35 $29,574 37 0.7% 29
Iowa $29,538 31 $29,928 32 1.3% 20
Kansas $26,737 46 $26,705 47 -0.1% 40
Kentucky $26,891 44 $26,686 48 -0.8% 43
Louisiana $27,096 43 $28,156 43 3.8% 4
Maine $31,805 24 $30,856 28 -3.1% 50
Maryland $38,851 8 $38,755 9 -0.3% 41
Massachusetts $37,364 11 $37,080 12 -0.8% 42
Michigan $30,133 29 $30,303 31 0.6% 33
Minnesota $32,859 18 $33,155 19 0.9% 25
Mississippi $26,258 49 $25,826 51 -1.7% 48
Missouri $29,489 33 $29,507 38 0.1% 38
Montana $30,038 30 $29,756 33 -1.0% 45
Nebraska $29,429 34 $30,358 30 3.1% 8
Nevada $36,525 12 $37,210 10 1.8% 17
New Hampshire $29,506 32 $30,547 29 3.4% 5
New Jersey $40,250 4 $40,346 4 0.2% 36
New Mexico $26,876 45 $27,602 45 2.6% 11
New York $39,586 5 $39,922 5 0.8% 27
North Carolina $29,228 37 $29,349 39 0.4% 34
North Dakota $31,715 25 $32,029 24 1.0% 24
Ohio $33,474 17 $33,717 18 0.7% 31
Oklahoma $26,121 50 $25,881 50 -0.9% 44
Oregon $32,158 23 $32,342 23 0.6% 32
Pennsylvania $34,020 15 $34,716 15 2.0% 15
Rhode Island $37,653 10 $37,114 11 -1.5% 46
South Carolina $28,409 41 $29,579 36 4.0% 3
South Dakota $26,644 47 $28,317 42 5.9% 2
Tennessee $26,524 48 $27,080 46 2.1% 13
Texas $29,067 38 $29,677 34 2.1% 12
Utah $32,781 19 $33,846 17 3.2% 7
Vermont $32,198 22 $33,092 20 2.7% 10
Virginia $32,755 20 $32,835 21 0.2% 35
Washington $35,468 13 $36,150 13 1.9% 16
West Virginia $31,285 27 $31,329 26 0.1% 37
Wisconsin $33,638 16 $33,883 16 0.7% 30
Wyoming $32,431 21 $31,963 25 -1.5% 47
United States $32,837 $33,177 1.0%

Higher Education ESP Earnings

State Salary 2020-21 Rank 2020-21 Salary 2021-22 Rank 2021-22 2020-21 to 2021-22 Percent Change 2020-21 to 2021-22 Change Rank
Alabama $42,166 28 $42,427 29 0.6% 18
Alaska $46,239 14 $45,754 16 -1.1% 38
Arizona $43,369 25 $43,969 22 1.4% 13
Arkansas $37,276 46 $37,306 48 0.1% 23
California $51,216 3 $51,089 3 -0.3% 28
Colorado $44,718 21 $44,753 19 0.1% 24
Connecticut $51,715 2 $52,327 2 1.2% 15
Delaware $40,209 37 $40,645 37 1.1% 16
District of Columbia $50,197 4 $49,035 5 -2.4% 46
Florida $40,564 36 $40,459 38 -0.3% 29
Georgia $39,683 39 $39,672 40 0.0% 26
Hawaii $46,862 13 $46,590 12 -0.6% 35
Idaho $37,248 47 $35,658 50 -4.5% 49
Illinois $44,843 20 $44,356 21 -1.1% 40
Indiana $41,266 34 $41,444 32 0.4% 20
Iowa $47,292 10 $47,043 10 -0.5% 33
Kansas $39,400 41 $40,152 39 1.9% 11
Kentucky $37,775 43 $38,821 44 2.7% 8
Louisiana $41,619 33 $41,407 34 -0.5% 32
Maine $40,726 35 $38,279 46 -6.4% 50
Maryland $46,209 15 $45,719 17 -1.1% 39
Massachusetts $49,510 5 $49,041 4 -1.0% 36
Michigan $47,481 9 $47,666 8 0.4% 21
Minnesota $47,596 8 $48,510 7 1.9% 10
Mississippi $35,238 51 $34,898 51 -1.0% 37
Missouri $42,462 27 $42,751 27 0.7% 17
Montana $37,338 45 $39,318 41 5.0% 3
Nebraska $41,814 30 $42,560 28 1.8% 12
Nevada $46,132 17 $44,800 18 -3.0% 48
New Hampshire $47,997 7 $44,705 20 -7.4% 51
New Jersey $53,202 1 $53,200 1 0.0% 25
New Mexico $36,558 49 $38,258 47 4.4% 4
New York $48,845 6 $48,582 6 -0.5% 34
North Carolina $43,002 26 $42,338 30 -1.6% 44
North Dakota $46,115 18 $47,627 9 3.2% 5
Ohio $45,881 19 $46,001 14 0.3% 22
Oklahoma $35,570 50 $38,351 45 7.3% 2
Oregon $44,454 22 $43,869 24 -1.3% 42
Pennsylvania $43,923 24 $43,899 23 -0.1% 27
Rhode Island $47,039 12 $45,944 15 -2.4% 47
South Carolina $41,781 32 $42,968 26 2.8% 6
South Dakota $36,919 48 $36,805 49 -0.3% 30
Tennessee $38,419 42 $39,283 42 2.2% 9
Texas $41,785 31 $42,282 31 1.2% 14
Utah $42,034 29 $41,413 33 -1.5% 43
Vermont $39,650 40 $38,927 43 -1.9% 45
Virginia $44,354 23 $43,867 25 -1.1% 41
Washington $47,197 11 $47,022 11 -0.4% 31
West Virginia $39,977 38 $41,090 36 2.7% 7
Wisconsin $46,209 16 $46,448 13 0.5% 19
Wyoming $37,766 44 $41,154 35 8.2% 1
United States $44,225 $44,292 0.2%

All ESP Earnings

State Salary 2020-21 Rank 2020-21 Salary 2021-22 Rank 2021-22 2020-21 to 2021-22 Percent Change 2020-21 to 2021-22 Change Rank
Alabama $31,766 37 $32,114 35 1.1% 20
Alaska $44,142 1 $42,737 3 -3.3% 50
Arizona $31,349 38 $32,050 38 2.2% 9
Arkansas $29,870 42 $29,829 43 -0.1% 41
California $41,413 5 $41,606 5 0.5% 30
Colorado $34,713 23 $35,399 21 1.9% 12
Connecticut $41,248 6 $41,581 6 0.8% 23
Delaware $44,044 2 $43,113 2 -2.2% 49
District of Columbia $41,889 4 $44,440 1 5.7% 1
Florida $32,704 31 $33,167 30 1.4% 15
Georgia $31,315 39 $31,761 41 1.4% 14
Hawaii $40,248 10 $40,655 8 1.0% 22
Idaho $29,085 45 $29,169 48 0.3% 34
Illinois $36,773 15 $36,981 15 0.6% 28
Indiana $32,232 33 $32,432 33 0.6% 26
Iowa $34,530 25 $34,376 25 -0.5% 44
Kansas $29,470 44 $29,441 47 -0.1% 40
Kentucky $28,783 48 $28,872 49 0.3% 33
Louisiana $29,804 43 $30,476 42 2.2% 8
Maine $33,274 27 $31,866 39 -4.4% 51
Maryland $40,523 8 $40,490 9 -0.1% 39
Massachusetts $39,495 11 $39,149 11 -0.9% 46
Michigan $34,558 24 $34,606 24 0.1% 36
Minnesota $35,928 18 $36,215 20 0.8% 24
Mississippi $28,477 49 $28,011 51 -1.7% 47
Missouri $32,033 35 $32,059 37 0.1% 38
Montana $31,968 36 $32,101 36 0.4% 31
Nebraska $32,614 32 $33,319 29 2.1% 10
Nevada $37,936 12 $38,157 13 0.6% 27
New Hampshire $32,073 34 $32,477 32 1.2% 18
New Jersey $42,037 3 $42,194 4 0.4% 32
New Mexico $29,076 46 $29,732 45 2.2% 7
New York $40,954 7 $41,173 7 0.5% 29
North Carolina $32,847 30 $32,890 31 0.1% 37
North Dakota $35,717 20 $36,679 16 2.6% 4
Ohio $36,047 17 $36,273 19 0.6% 25
Oklahoma $28,246 51 $28,566 50 1.1% 19
Oregon $35,057 22 $34,935 23 -0.4% 42
Pennsylvania $35,764 19 $36,483 18 2.0% 11
Rhode Island $40,275 9 $39,550 10 -1.8% 48
South Carolina $30,933 41 $32,139 34 3.8% 3
South Dakota $28,465 50 $29,745 44 4.3% 2
Tennessee $28,866 47 $29,614 46 2.5% 5
Texas $31,189 40 $31,782 40 1.9% 13
Utah $36,170 16 $36,650 17 1.3% 16
Vermont $32,984 29 $33,773 27 2.3% 6
Virginia $35,238 21 $35,103 22 -0.4% 43
Washington $37,723 13 $38,221 12 1.3% 17
West Virginia $33,044 28 $33,391 28 1.0% 21
Wisconsin $37,192 14 $37,012 14 -0.5% 45
Wyoming $33,686 26 $33,783 26 0.3% 35
United States $35,124 $35,401 0.8%
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Andre Mathis

ESP Earnings 2023

NEA’s ESP Earnings Report offers a breakdown of educational support professional (ESP) earnings for K-12 and higher education.
Download the Report (pdf)
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