As teachers navigated the daunting task of shepherding students through a public health and education crisis, their average pay dropped to the lowest in at least a decade.
The starting salary for teachers in the U.S. averaged $41,770 for the 2020-21 school year, a 4% decrease from the prior year when adjusted for inflation. New Jersey had the highest pay at about $54,000, while Missouri and Montana had the lowest, about $33,000, according to a report from the National Education Association.
Poor pay is at the heart of a chronic teacher shortage that was laid bare during the pandemic. It has forced officials to reckon with a withering talent pipeline, a lack of substitutes and high levels of dissatisfaction among educators. Some states tapped stimulus funds to give teachers bonuses, but the short-term aid makes it difficult for schools to implement lasting salary bumps.
