Published: April 26, 2022
Key Findings
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For 2020-21, K-12 ESPs working full time (at least 30 hours per week) earned an average of $32,837. During the same school year, higher education ESP working full time earned an average of $44,225.
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13.7% of K-12 ESPs working full time earned less than $15,000, and 27.8% earned between $15,000 and $24,999. Within higher education, 17.4 percent earn less than $25,000, and 7.5 percent earn less than $15,000.
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The average salary for ESP has risen from $30,819 in 2011-12 to $35,124 in 2020-21. When adjusted for inflation, the earnings for ESP in 2012 dollars has fallen from $30,819 to $30,279.
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Earning Averages for Full-Time Workers
| | Total | Rank | K-12 | Rank | Higher Ed | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $35,124 | $32,837 | $44,225 | |||
| Alabama | $31,766 | 37 | $28,418 | 40 | $42,166 | 28 |
| Alaska | $44,142 | 1 | $43,845 | 2 | $46,239 | 14 |
| Arizona | $31,349 | 38 | $28,492 | 39 | $43,369 | 25 |
| Arkansas | $29,870 | 42 | $27,802 | 42 | $37,276 | 46 |
| California | $41,413 | 5 | $39,005 | 7 | $51,216 | 3 |
| Colorado | $34,713 | 23 | $31,674 | 26 | $44,718 | 21 |
| Connecticut | $41,248 | 6 | $39,492 | 6 | $51,715 | 2 |
| Delaware | $44,044 | 2 | $44,738 | 1 | $40,209 | 37 |
| District of Columbia | $41,889 | 4 | $40,794 | 3 | $50,197 | 4 |
| Florida | $32,704 | 31 | $30,775 | 28 | $40,564 | 36 |
| Georgia | $31,315 | 39 | $29,296 | 36 | $39,683 | 39 |
| Hawaii | $40,248 | 10 | $38,515 | 9 | $46,862 | 13 |
| Idaho | $29,085 | 45 | $25,830 | 51 | $37,248 | 47 |
| Illinois | $36,773 | 15 | $34,289 | 14 | $44,843 | 20 |
| Indiana | $32,232 | 33 | $29,355 | 35 | $41,266 | 34 |
| Iowa | $34,530 | 25 | $29,538 | 31 | $47,292 | 10 |
| Kansas | $29,470 | 44 | $26,737 | 46 | $39,400 | 41 |
| Kentucky | $28,783 | 48 | $26,891 | 44 | $37,775 | 43 |
| Louisiana | $29,804 | 43 | $27,096 | 43 | $41,619 | 33 |
| Maine | $33,274 | 27 | $31,805 | 24 | $40,726 | 35 |
| Maryland | $40,523 | 8 | $38,851 | 8 | $46,209 | 15 |
| Massachusetts | $39,495 | 11 | $37,364 | 11 | $49,510 | 5 |
| Michigan | $34,558 | 24 | $30,133 | 29 | $47,481 | 9 |
| Minnesota | $35,928 | 18 | $32,859 | 18 | $47,596 | 8 |
| Mississippi | $28,477 | 49 | $26,258 | 49 | $35,238 | 51 |
| Missouri | $32,033 | 35 | $29,489 | 33 | $42,462 | 27 |
| Montana | $31,968 | 36 | $30,038 | 30 | $37,338 | 45 |
| Nebraska | $32,614 | 32 | $29,429 | 34 | $41,814 | 30 |
| Nevada | $37,936 | 12 | $36,525 | 12 | $46,132 | 17 |
| New Hampshire | $32,073 | 34 | $29,506 | 32 | $47,997 | 7 |
| New Jersey | $42,037 | 3 | $40,250 | 4 | $53,202 | 1 |
| New Mexico | $29,076 | 46 | $26,876 | 45 | $36,558 | 49 |
| New York | $40,954 | 7 | $39,586 | 5 | $48,845 | 6 |
| North Carolina | $32,847 | 30 | $29,228 | 37 | $43,002 | 26 |
| North Dakota | $35,717 | 20 | $31,715 | 25 | $46,115 | 18 |
| Ohio | $36,047 | 17 | $33,474 | 17 | $45,881 | 19 |
| Oklahoma | $28,246 | 51 | $26,121 | 50 | $35,570 | 50 |
| Oregon | $35,057 | 22 | $32,158 | 23 | $44,454 | 22 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,764 | 19 | $34,020 | 15 | $43,923 | 24 |
| Rhode Island | $40,275 | 9 | $37,653 | 10 | $47,039 | 12 |
| South Carolina | $30,933 | 41 | $28,409 | 41 | $41,781 | 32 |
| South Dakota | $28,465 | 50 | $26,644 | 47 | $36,919 | 48 |
| Tennessee | $28,866 | 47 | $26,524 | 48 | $38,419 | 42 |
| Texas | $31,189 | 40 | $29,067 | 38 | $41,785 | 31 |
| Utah | $36,170 | 16 | $32,781 | 19 | $42,034 | 29 |
| Vermont | $32,984 | 29 | $32,198 | 22 | $39,650 | 40 |
| Virginia | $35,238 | 21 | $32,755 | 20 | $44,354 | 23 |
| Washington | $37,723 | 13 | $35,468 | 13 | $47,197 | 11 |
| West Virginia | $33,044 | 28 | $31,285 | 27 | $39,977 | 38 |
| Wisconsin | $37,192 | 14 | $33,638 | 16 | $46,209 | 16 |
| Wyoming | $33,686 | 26 | $32,431 | 21 | $37,766 | 44 |
Earnings Distribution
| | Total ESP | Under $15,000 | $15- 24,999 | $25- 34,999 | $35- 44,999 | $45,000+ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 100% | 12.4% | 24.1% | 22.0% | 15.4% | 26.1% | ||
| Alabama | 100% | 13.3% | 31.8% | 20.8% | 13.5% | 20.6% | ||
| Alaska | 100% | 11.8% | 7.0% | 23.4% | 14.8% | 43.1% | ||
| Arizona | 100% | 16.6% | 26.6% | 25.0% | 14.1% | 17.7% | ||
| Arkansas | 100% | 17.1% | 32.0% | 21.4% | 13.2% | 16.3% | ||
| California | 100% | 7.8% | 15.1% | 20.2% | 17.0% | 39.9% | ||
| Colorado | 100% | 11.7% | 23.8% | 20.9% | 16.5% | 27.1% | ||
| Connecticut | 100% | 5.9% | 16.3% | 20.4% | 14.5% | 42.9% | ||
| Delaware | 100% | 5.0% | 8.8% | 14.2% | 29.5% | 42.5% | ||
| District of Columbia | 100% | 9.6% | 12.0% | 22.6% | 13.2% | 42.6% | ||
| Florida | 100% | 11.5% | 29.5% | 23.4% | 15.7% | 20.0% | ||
| Georgia | 100% | 15.8% | 30.3% | 22.8% | 12.6% | 18.5% | ||
| Hawaii | 100% | 7.9% | 12.4% | 23.5% | 21.1% | 35.1% | ||
| Idaho | 100% | 23.1% | 27.1% | 24.0% | 12.3% | 13.5% | ||
| Illinois | 100% | 11.0% | 23.7% | 21.4% | 16.1% | 27.8% | ||
| Indiana | 100% | 16.2% | 26.7% | 23.0% | 13.8% | 20.3% | ||
| Iowa | 100% | 17.9% | 25.3% | 19.9% | 13.8% | 23.1% | ||
| Kansas | 100% | 25.6% | 27.6% | 20.4% | 11.3% | 15.0% | ||
| Kentucky | 100% | 21.9% | 30.9% | 22.8% | 10.7% | 13.6% | ||
| Louisiana | 100% | 18.2% | 33.9% | 17.5% | 10.8% | 19.6% | ||
| Maine | 100% | 7.4% | 24.5% | 30.3% | 24.1% | 13.7% | ||
| Maryland | 100% | 10.0% | 12.8% | 25.8% | 17.9% | 33.4% | ||
| Massachusetts | 100% | 8.4% | 19.7% | 21.2% | 14.7% | 36.0% | ||
| Michigan | 100% | 15.8% | 24.1% | 23.3% | 14.2% | 22.6% | ||
| Minnesota | 100% | 11.8% | 25.0% | 20.1% | 15.8% | 27.3% | ||
| Mississippi | 100% | 16.4% | 34.4% | 23.8% | 10.2% | 15.2% | ||
| Missouri | 100% | 14.1% | 28.2% | 24.1% | 12.9% | 20.7% | ||
| Montana | 100% | 13.4% | 23.8% | 28.5% | 15.3% | 19.1% | ||
| Nebraska | 100% | 17.1% | 25.2% | 18.1% | 17.4% | 22.1% | ||
| Nevada | 100% | 6.7% | 18.6% | 23.0% | 21.3% | 30.4% | ||
| New Hampshire | 100% | 13.6% | 28.9% | 32.9% | 8.3% | 16.3% | ||
| New Jersey | 100% | 6.9% | 16.2% | 19.7% | 16.4% | 40.8% | ||
| New Mexico | 100% | 20.4% | 32.8% | 19.5% | 10.3% | 17.1% | ||
| New York | 100% | 7.9% | 14.7% | 21.6% | 19.6% | 36.2% | ||
| North Carolina | 100% | 10.3% | 27.1% | 27.4% | 16.9% | 18.3% | ||
| North Dakota | 100% | 9.2% | 24.1% | 25.6% | 17.2% | 23.9% | ||
| Ohio | 100% | 9.9% | 25.3% | 20.0% | 16.9% | 27.9% | ||
| Oklahoma | 100% | 21.5% | 31.3% | 19.8% | 12.2% | 15.2% | ||
| Oregon | 100% | 9.2% | 21.6% | 26.0% | 17.5% | 25.7% | ||
| Pennsylvania | 100% | 11.2% | 21.8% | 19.9% | 21.2% | 26.0% | ||
| Rhode Island | 100% | 7.1% | 13.5% | 19.9% | 21.8% | 37.6% | ||
| South Carolina | 100% | 15.8% | 28.0% | 23.7% | 15.7% | 16.9% | ||
| South Dakota | 100% | 25.1% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 10.5% | 15.4% | ||
| Tennessee | 100% | 21.8% | 30.5% | 21.3% | 12.9% | 13.5% | ||
| Texas | 100% | 15.5% | 32.4% | 21.0% | 11.7% | 19.5% | ||
| Utah | 100% | 14.6% | 18.0% | 23.3% | 15.9% | 28.3% | ||
| Vermont | 100% | 8.5% | 26.0% | 27.1% | 20.9% | 17.5% | ||
| Virginia | 100% | 10.5% | 25.2% | 21.5% | 15.1% | 27.6% | ||
| Washington | 100% | 7.7% | 21.3% | 20.7% | 18.8% | 31.5% | ||
| West Virginia | 100% | 7.7% | 23.1% | 38.4% | 13.7% | 17.0% | ||
| Wisconsin | 100% | 11.9% | 22.1% | 20.0% | 17.6% | 28.4% | ||
| Wyoming | 100% | 15.5% | 20.1% | 29.1% | 16.2% | 19.0% |
Trends
1
OF
2
Education support professionals are earning less than they did 10 years ago, when adjusted for inflation.
2
OF
2
Union ESPs have the power to negotiate for better pay.
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