Teacher Salaries By State

[Josie]

Check out this chart of teacher salaries by state. Teacher Salaries By State | Average Salaries For Teachers | Beginning Salaries For Teachers | Teacher Raises | TeacherPortal.com

Do you think the average teacher salary in your state should be higher, lower, or stay the same?

 

[soccerboy22]

For where my parents live in South Carolina it should definitely be lower. I was honestly teaching kids two grades above me because their teachers were doing jack. In terms of MA I really can't say since it was forever ago since I attended school here in the state aside from college.

 

[MaggieD]

I don't even like THINKING about it. Starting salaries may be about average (for a nine-month position, don't forget), but a few years down the road, and you're talking big bucks. Subjective experience: a friend started teaching at 22. She is retiring at 52. Last year, she made $160,000 as a Science Teacher, plus head of the Science Department at the high school. Her pension? 3% per year of service or $144,000 with a 3% increase per year. (Won't be quite that high for purists; they take an average of the last four years B4 they take the 3%.) Oh, and, of course, they get full medical insurance with a small kick-in.

How on EARTH are taxpayers supposed to fund THAT?????

 

[jamesrage]

I say other.Pay should be based on results.Maybe start out with the lowest national standard and then if a sufficient number of kids pass that teacher's class at their grade level work then maybe up a couple of thousand a year. Lousy teachers should be let go period.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

What level of education is required to generally teach in the US?

 

[Josie]

What level of education is required to generally teach in the US?

Bachelors degree.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Bachelors degree.

The salaries listed then are fairly low then in my opinion

 

[DrunkenAsparagus]

Some deserve more. Some deserve less. Why don't consumers and schools decide like in any other market?

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

I don't even like THINKING about it. Starting salaries may be about average (for a nine-month position, don't forget), but a few years down the road, and you're talking big bucks. Subjective experience: a friend started teaching at 22. She is retiring at 52. Last year, she made $160,000 as a Science Teacher, plus head of the Science Department at the high school. Her pension? 3% per year of service or $144,000 with a 3% increase per year. (Won't be quite that high for purists; they take an average of the last four years B4 they take the 3%.) Oh, and, of course, they get full medical insurance with a small kick-in.

How on EARTH are taxpayers supposed to fund THAT?????

Yea it can end up being a really cushy position to be a retiring teacher.
When you count all the benefits, not just pay, you find that them and other public service workers are quickly becoming the newest class of millionaires.

 

[MaggieD]

Some deserve more. Some deserve less. Why don't consumers and schools decide like in any other market?

Teachers' unions, weak school boards, the "sacred cow" mindset.

Teachers' pensions in many states (certainly in IL) are far above what taxpayers can fund. Teachers also get a few thousand here, few thousand there -- for lunchroom duty, coaching (their part-time salaries absolutely can't be beat). They also get tuition to pursue advanced degrees -- for which they automatically make more money. They work on average 39 weeks -- not counting spring break and, at least here in Illinois, two weeks off for Christmas....so that brings them down to 36 weeks.

Looking at that index, now I know why I feel the way I do - Illinois teachers are ranked #1. $37,500 to start; an average of 4.34% increase every year for the first ten...yikes. That's without, of course, any of the perks and part-time supervisory positions they can get that increase their base salary even more. Sweet deal.

 

[MaggieD]

Yea it can end up being a really cushy position to be a retiring teacher.
When you count all the benefits, not just pay, you find that them and other public service workers are quickly becoming the newest class of millionaires.

Absolutely. They're AUTOMATIC millionaires. How much money does it take to fund a $144,000 pension for 25 years assuming a 3% return? $2,600,000. Multi-millionaire!!

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Absolutely. They're AUTOMATIC millionaires. How much money does it take to fund a $144,000 pension for 25 years assuming a 3% return? $2,600,000. Multi-millionaire!!

That doesn't even count health benefits.
It's insane.

 

[earthworm]

Its not only the teacher salaries that have become out of hand.
Executives, CEOs, managers.....a great many are over paid.
A ton of reform is necessary here.....
A lot less arrogance and a lot more respect will go a long ways..

 

[earthworm]

I say other.Pay should be based on results.Maybe start out with the lowest national standard and then if a sufficient number of kids pass that teacher's class at their grade level work then maybe up a couple of thousand a year. Lousy teachers should be let go period.

Its far more than lousy teachers - its lousy administration, lousy students, lousy parents...
Those who have done "good", should be appreciated.....not all is lousy...
Have I ever mentioned reform?
And, I'd sooner have a "lousy teacher" than one who does not care....

 

[earthworm]

That doesn't even count health benefits.
It's insane.

Guess who has let this happen???
Yes.....you and I....
BTW , betraying the public trust should be a crime, a very serious crime..

 

[Dezaad]

I don't even like THINKING about it. Starting salaries may be about average (for a nine-month position, don't forget), but a few years down the road, and you're talking big bucks. Subjective experience: a friend started teaching at 22. She is retiring at 52. Last year, she made $160,000 as a Science Teacher, plus head of the Science Department at the high school. Her pension? 3% per year of service or $144,000 with a 3% increase per year. (Won't be quite that high for purists; they take an average of the last four years B4 they take the 3%.) Oh, and, of course, they get full medical insurance with a small kick-in.

How on EARTH are taxpayers supposed to fund THAT?????

There is some part of this story that you are simply not aware of or are not telling. Teachers don't get paid 160,000 for being a teacher.

 

[Helvidius]

I believe teachers receive too much when you look at their salary plus benefits, but what annoys me the most is tenure. I went to public school and I had teachers who stopped teaching once they received tenure. I even had a teacher who said we could have the class period off because he now had tenure. Many teachers work hard for the first three years, receive tenure, and then spend the next thirty years not caring. It is absolutely appalling. A few months ago, a teacher at my local middle school drove to school drunk and spent half the day teaching while continuing to drink. Her punishment? Temporary leave WITH PAY!!

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Guess who has let this happen???
Yes.....you and I....
BTW , betraying the public trust should be a crime, a very serious crime..

This started well before I could do anything.
I just turned 27, so I haven't had much of a say.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

There is some part of this story that you are simply not aware of or are not telling. Teachers don't get paid 160,000 for being a teacher.

It's not all that uncommon in some states.

I know California has quite a few that get paid a very substantial salary.

 

[Josie]

I was just tenured recently. If I ever act like some teachers do at my school I hope I would have the integrity to quit. I know a teacher that sets her students in front of the computer while she sits at her desk on her computer. She gets paid more than the principal (over $70,000). I haven't heard of any teacher making anywhere near $160,000.

 

[Dittohead not!]

There is some part of this story that you are simply not aware of or are not telling. Teachers don't get paid 160,000 for being a teacher.

Yes, I'll be interested in some back up for that figure as well.

Teachers in California negotiate salaries with the individual school districts. I've never heard of any district anywhere in the state offering a top teacher salary of $160 grand. The supertintendent may make that or more, but then, he's a politician rather than an educator.

The retirement benefits are pretty good, but nowhere near that 3% per year and being able to retire at the tender age of 52. Here, if you quit before the age of 61 and a half (63 with less than 30 years) you get a pittance.

As for those health bennies, yes, they're great. A few districts used to pay for retirees health insurance, back when health care wasn't so expensive. That perk has gone out the window.

Teachers who are doing the job they have contracted to do, and that includes most of them, are worth a lot more than they are being paid. Teachers are expected to take on all comers, whether or not they are prepared for class or have any interest in learning or any back up at home, show progress with gang bangers and crack babies, keep order among children who have no other order in their lives, and put up with incompetent administration and a dozen layers of incompetent bureaucracy making assinine rules to live by. Teachers are grossly underpaid for what they have to do.

 

[MaggieD]

There is some part of this story that you are simply not aware of or are not telling. Teachers don't get paid 160,000 for being a teacher.

Ah, but they do, Dezaad. Try to find out the salaries of individual teachers in YOUR area. In Illinois, there's a watchdog group where you can simply enter in the teacher's name and get the salary. I'm sure their legal eagles fought thru the Freedom of Information Act to get this information. See if YOUR state has one. Family Taxpayers Foundation

Earthworm said: Guess who has let this happen???
Yes.....you and I....

The public has zero input. It's like every other beaurocracy. Impossible to stop the steamroller.

 

[Dittohead not!]

Ah, but they do, Dezaad. Try to find out the salaries of individual teachers in YOUR area. In Illinois, there's a watchdog group where you can simply enter in the teacher's name and get the salary. I'm sure their legal eagles fought thru the Freedom of Information Act to get this information. See if YOUR state has one. Family Taxpayers Foundation



The public has zero input. It's like every other beaurocracy. Impossible to stop the steamroller.

Then you should have no problem showing us a few teachers (not administrators) making $160 grand or more per year, correct?

 

[MaggieD]

Then you should have no problem showing us a few teachers (not administrators) making $160 grand or more per year, correct?

Salary: $176,504
Position: High School Teacher
Full/Part Time: Fulltime
Percent Time Employed: 100%
Assignment: Physical Education
Years Teaching: 29
Degree: Master's

Salary: $172,281
Position: High School Teacher
Full/Part Time: Fulltime
Percent Time Employed: 100%
Assignment: Graphic Design/Commercial Art
Years Teaching: 31
Degree: Master's

Here are a couple copied right off the website. I'm obviously not going to post the teacher's names. Take it or leave it. There's a link to the site in one of my earlier posts. Do your homework. You'll see it. I don't lie.

 

[The_Patriot]

I vote other since I believe the entire public school system should be scrapped and turned into a private school. This way a person that doesn't have children isn't paying for someone else's children to go to school.