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U.S. Census on Teacher Pay: It's Low for Their Education Level

Written by Dr. David Holbrook | October 13, 2022

Educators and the news media pay a lot of attention to our current teacher shortage crisis. One of the oft-cited reasons relates to teacher pay. While not the entire solution, having teacher pay be commensurate with their education level would be a step in the right direction. 

The U.S. Census Bureau has published interactive data charts and graphs supporting that teacher pay tends to be lower than in other professions where similar levels of education are required. 

The data also shows that since 2010: 

  • Median earnings for all full-time workers have increased (regardless of whether they have a college degree or not) 
  • Median earnings for high school, middle school, and special education teachers have declined 
  • Median earnings for teachers rank lower than similarly educated workers in other professions 
  • Median earnings for teachers declined close to the level of "all full-time, year-round workers with or without a college education" 

The last graph on the site allows you to compare the change in teachers' pay with other occupations. The site also includes links to other resources and a related article titled, Average Teachers’ Earnings Declining, Lower Than Similarly Educated Workers. 

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