The average salary for a public school teacher in the United States rose to $74,495 in the 2024–25 school year, a 3.5% increase over the previous year, according to an annual report released by the National Education Association. After adjusting for inflation, teachers' real earnings have declined by nearly 5% since 2017.
Roughly 3.2 million teachers worked in U.S. public schools during the 2024–25 school year, which enrolled nearly 49 million students at the start of the year, a 0.3% drop from the previous fall. Public school enrollment has declined by roughly 3.6% since 2016.
"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. 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," NEA President Becky Pringle said in a press release accompanying the report.
The states with the highest average teacher salaries in 2024–25 were California at $103,552, New York at $98,655 and Washington at $96,589. The lowest averages were in Mississippi at $54,975, Florida at $56,663 and Louisiana at $56,785.
The average salary for new teachers nationally in 2024–25 was $48,112, a 3.4% increase over the previous year. After accounting for inflation, real salary growth for new teachers from 2023–24 to 2024–25 was below 1%. The District of Columbia led starting salaries at $64,640, followed by Washington at $60,658, California at $59,424, New Jersey at $58,727 and Utah at $57,849. Montana had the lowest average starting salary at $36,682.
Washington was among 11 states with inflation-adjusted increases in teacher pay since 2017, with a 36% rise. The Washington State Supreme Court imposed a $100,000-a-day fine on the state to compel more funding and support for public schools.
States with collective bargaining laws have average starting teacher salaries that are $366 higher and top salaries that are $15,105 higher than states without such laws, the report said. School support staff earn 13% more in states that allow collective bargaining. Seven states expressly prohibit collective bargaining for teachers, while more than 80% of U.S. school districts are in states with some form of collective bargaining law. South Carolina lawmakers agreed to an 11% increase in pay for starting teachers last year despite the state lacking a collective bargaining law.
The average salary for K-12 public school support staff in 2024–25 was $36,360, a $1,400 increase over the previous year. Schools enrolled an average of 15.1 students per teacher in 2024–25, unchanged from 2023–24. Arizona, Nevada and Utah averaged roughly 22 students per teacher, while Vermont, New York and the District of Columbia averaged between 10 and 11.
Federal dollars accounted for 7.8% of public schools' total revenue during the 2024–25 school year. State governments provided 47% of funding in 2025, and local governments roughly 45%.