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Whether becoming a teacher is a lifelong dream or recent interest, researching teacher salaries can help you set accurate expectations and form attainable goals. Read on to learn about teacher salaries in the U.S., and browse the articles listed at the right to learn about teacher salaries in specific teaching careers.
Teaching Salaries: Counting the Cost Teacher salaries vary widely depending on geographic area, level of education and seniority. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary of elementary, middle and secondary school teachers was $51,000 in 2007, and in 2006, the top 10 percent earned $73,350. These numbers are highly competitive with comparable markets. For example, librarians, archivists, curators, public relations specialists and social workers all made equal or smaller median salaries that year. A Boom Year for Teachers Like the BLS, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) found that the $51,000 average teacher salary in 2007 exceeded inflation rates for the first time in 15 years. This is especially noteworthy during a time when many other industries cut raises and cost-of-living income adjustments significantly. So, while the average inflation-adjusted salaries of all U.S. workers dropped sharply, teachers enjoyed an unheard-of 4.5 percent increase. If this kind of increase continues, teacher salaries will continue to look promising for both experienced and new teachers in the coming years.
Beginning Teacher Salaries The AFT found that beginning teachers with a bachelor's degree earned an average of $35,284 for the 2006–2007 school year. That's a 6.2 percent increase from the previous year. With beginning teacher salaries increasing at a faster rate than teaching salaries overall, the profession is sure to attract more qualified practitioners in the coming years. This is great news because the BLS predicts 479,000 additional teacher positions to be available between 2006 and 2016, showing a larger growth than all but a small number other occupations. Increase Your Teacher Salary Most school districts increase teacher salaries according to the number of approved continuing education credits they've accumulated and the number of years they've been teaching. Teachers with master's degrees or national certification often have higher salaries. Private school teachers generally earn less than public school teachers but have other benefits like smaller class size. Some teachers earn extra income teaching summer school, tutoring or performing other jobs in the school system, and many teachers earn $75,000 or more toward the end of their tenure without any supplemental income.
Pursue a Teaching Salary by Location Because of vast cost-of-living differences, teaching salaries vary significantly across the country. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the following average annual teacher incomes for some major US cities in 2007: - Los Angeles, California: $58,160
- Washington D.C.: $61,250
- Miami, Florida: $53,320
- Atlanta, Georgia: $49,310
- Chicago, Illinois: $56,960
- Boston, Massachusetts: $57,600
- St. Louis, Missouri: $58,300
- New York, New York: $63,940
- Cincinnati, Ohio: $52,290
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: $50,480
- Dallas, Texas: $46,040
- Seattle, Washington: $52,370
For more information on why teacher salaries are often better than they appear, see our Teacher Salary Secrets article. |
 
Teacher Salaries "Don't make money your goal.
Instead, pursue the things
you love doing, and then do
them so well that people can't
take their eyes off you."
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