Inflation is sucking the life out of teacher pay raises, report says

Education Inflation is sucking the life out of teacher pay raises, report says April 27, 20265:00 AM ET Cory Turner LA Johnson/NPR The average salary for a public school teacher in the U.S. rose to $74,495 in the last school year, up 3.5% from the year before. But adjusted for inflation, today's teachers are estimated to be earning less, not more, than they were in 2017. That's according to a new review of school-related data from the National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest teachers union with 3 million members. The annual release includes the latest data — collected directly from state departments of education – on teacher and support staff salaries, student enrollment and even how much money schools are getting from federal, state and local sources. Sponsor Message Here are some of the most interesting findings: $74,495 — The national average public school teacher salaryAccording to this new data, roughly 3.2 million teachers worked in U.S. public schools during the last school year, and, on average, they earned around $74,500 — not including benefits. Education School choice is booming in Iowa. Are students better off? The report breaks down teacher salaries by state and region, too. At the top of the rankings for 2024-25 are California ($103,552), New York ($98,655) and Washington ($96,589) while Mississippi ($54,975), Florida ($56,663) and Louisiana ($56,785) round out the low end. These data come with an important caveat, though: They have not been adjusted for differences in the cost of living, which can vary greatly from ZIP code to ZIP code and could reasonably account for at least some of the gap in salaries. Inflation's effect on teacher pay NEA researchers used state department of education projections — or, when necessary, arrived at their own projections — to estimate teacher salary averages for 2026, then compared those estimates to salaries from 2017. At first glance, pay appears to have risen across the decade (in current dollars). But after adjusting for inflation, the researchers estimate that teachers' real earnings have actually declined by nearly 5%. "Dedicated educators show up every day in classrooms across this country to inspire, support, and lift up their students, but too many are struggling to stay in the profession they love," NEA President Becky Pringle said in a press release. "They deserve pay that reflects their expertise, the strong support they need to succeed, and the respect that honors the essential role they play in shaping the future of this nation." Sponsor Message Of the 11 states that have seen an inflation-adjusted increase in teacher pay since 2017, one stands out, eclipsing the others. In Washington, teacher pay increased 36%. Why? Because the state's supreme court put the state on notice, including imposing a $100,000-a-day fine, that it needed to do more to fund and support its public schools. $48,112 — The average salary for new teachers In 2024-25, the average salary nationally for new teachers jumped 3.4%, according to NEA's report, but "after accounting for inflation, real salary growth was below 1%." The states with the highest average starting salaries: District of Columbia ($64,640), Washington ($60,658), California ($59,424), New Jersey ($58,727) and Utah ($57,849). The states with the lowest starting salaries: Montana ($36,682), Nebraska ($39,561), Missouri ($40,682), Oklahoma ($41,294) and Kentucky ($41,901). Though again, this data has not been adjusted for…

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