Teacher salaries hit national median income, but union wants more

The average teacher salary is $62,000 nationally, but that’s not enough, the head of the second-largest teachers’ union said last week.

Educators could earn about $80,000 if they worked in the private sector, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten told NPR during Teacher Appreciation Week, but most stay in the job “because they’re making a difference in the lives of kids.”

The rhetoric that teachers are underpaid is popular – and pervasive – but might not resonate with many Americans.

The average U.S. salary is $64,000 or $66,000, depending on which government agency is consulted, and the midpoint for all salaries – half of workers earn more, half earn less – is $62,000. This means teachers are right in the middle of what Americans make.

Although teacher pay varies greatly from state to state, unions guarantee pay raises and other bonuses based on longevity. Plus, teachers have an extended summer break, meaning they do not work all 12 months of the year.

Weingarten, who earns more than $500,000 per year – or enough to pay eight teacher salaries – said the nation needs more classroom teachers to ensure students receive a well-rounded education.

“If you don’t have a physics teacher because of the shortage, and kids want to take physics or need physics, that’s going to impact kids,” she told NPR. “If you don’t have a computer science teacher, that’s going to impact kids.”

One way to accomplish that would be to reduce the number of nonteaching positions, which have increased dramatically over the last two decades.

Since 2000, public school administrative staff have increased 95%, and principals and assistant principals 39%. Over that same time, the number of teachers has grown just 10%, and the number of students 5%. 

Principals and administrators also earn far higher salaries than teachers – often in the six-figure range – and the increase in these staff members has not led to a rise in student achievement, national test scores show. 

As districts face financial constraints from declining enrollment and leaner state budgets, some are reducing administrative bloat. 

Denver Public Schools announced 38 position cuts in March, saving $5 million annually. That translates to more than $131,000 per position – enough to pay two teacher salaries. 

Several Republican-led states have passed teacher pay increases or one-time bonuses in conjunction with school choice legislation, highlighting an emphasis on helping teachers while giving parents educational freedom to choose the school that is best for their child. 

As President Donald Trump’s proposed budget – including a $4.5 billion reduction in federal K-12 funding – moves forward, more districts will face the choice of where to allocate their resources. 

Trump’s stated goal is to eliminate the Department of Education, returning control to the states. 

In Missouri, a Republican lawmaker proposed a bill to require school districts to spend at least 88% of their budgets on teachers. The percentage would have increased by 1% annually until reaching a cap of 95%. The measure did not advance out of committee.