New data regarding teacher salaries has revived old questions of whether we are paying teachers enough to retain and attract top talent to the profession. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently released its 2013 data on teacher salaries, revealing that the latest average annual salary of public school teachers in the U.S. is $56,383. Teacher salaries in Texas average $48,110, ranking it 38 out of 51 (50 states plus the District of Columbia) and on the lower end of state averages that range from $39,580 in South Dakota to $75,279 in New York.
Within Texas, median teacher salaries vary depending on the school district and range from as little as $33,000 in Olfen ISD to as much as $62,000 in Barbers Hill ISD. The highest paying district in Houston, Deer Park ISD, falls on the upper end of the range with a median base salary of $54,585.
The Texas Education Agency does mandate the minimum salary that districts must pay their full time teachers, depending on qualifications. Beginning teachers with zero years of experience must be paid at least $27,320, while teachers with twenty or more years of experience must be paid at least $44,270. However, these are just minimums and most districts have their own salary schedules that are voted on and approved by local school boards. In fact, the actual median salary for beginning teachers statewide is closer to $36,000. In Houston ISD, the starting salary for a beginning teacher is slightly higher at about $46,000.
Like most professions, there is no magic number for how much a teacher should be paid. But in general, teachers make less than other professions that require similar levels of education and the gap widens even further the more years they put into teaching. During research for CHILDREN AT RISK’s School Budget Cuts Study, one recurring assertion from districts was that it is difficult to hire and retain good teachers with stagnated salaries. We need better incentives to attract the best and the brightest to commit their careers to teaching our kids.