Skip Navigation
small header image
Digest of Education Statistics
1999 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Issue of the Digest

Table 81  Average annual salary of instructional staff\1\ in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: 1939-40 to 1997-98

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                       |                           Current dollars                                                        |     Constant 1997-98 dollars\2\
                       |__________________________________________________________________________________________________|______________________________________________
  State or other area  |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
                       |1939-40 |1949-50 | 1959-60  | 1969-70 | 1979-80  |   1989-90 |   1995-96 |    1996-97 |   1997-98 |1969-70 |1979-80 |1989-90 | 1995-96 | 1996-97
_______________________|________|________|__________|_________|__________|___________|___________|____________|___________|________|________|________|_________|_________
           1           |   2    |   3    |     4    |    5    |    6     |      7    |      8    |       9    |      10   |   11   |   12   |   13   |   14    |   15
_______________________|________|________|__________|_________|__________|___________|___________|____________|___________|________|________|________|_________|_________
   United States ......| $1,441 | $3,010 |   $5,174 |  $9,047 |  $16,715 |   $32,638 |\3\$39,465 |\3\ $40,562 |\3\$41,598 |$38,737 |$34,824 |$41,575 | $41,315 | $41,285
                       |________|________|__________|_________|__________|___________|___________|____________|___________|________|________|________|_________|_________
Alabama ...............|    744 |  2,111 |    4,002 |   6,954 |   13,338 |    26,200 |    32,459 |     33,744 |    34,040 | 29,775 | 27,789 | 33,374 |  33,980 |  34,346
Alaska ................|    --- |    --- |    6,859 |  10,993 |   27,697 |\3\ 43,161 |\3\ 50,059 |\3\  52,033 |\3\ 53,154 | 47,069 | 57,704 | 54,979 |  52,405 |  52,961
Arizona ...............|  1,544 |  3,556 |    5,590 |   8,975 |   16,180 |    33,592 |\3\ 43,542 |\3\  44,157 |\3\ 44,819 | 38,428 | 33,710 | 42,790 |  45,583 |  44,945
Arkansas ..............|    584 |  1,801 |    3,295 |   6,461 |   12,704 |    23,296 |    30,025 |\3\  30,976 |    31,852 | 27,664 | 26,468 | 29,675 |  31,432 |  31,528
California ............|  2,351 |    --- |\3\ 6,600 |  10,950 |   18,626 |\3\ 39,309 |\3\ 44,027 |\3\  45,349 |\3\ 45,610 | 46,885 | 38,806 | 50,072 |  46,091 |  46,158
                       |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
Colorado ..............|  1,393 |  2,821 |    4,997 |   8,105 |   16,840 |    31,832 |    36,353 |     37,473 |\3\ 38,280 | 34,703 | 35,085 | 40,548 |  38,057 |  38,141
Connecticut ...........|  1,861 |  3,558 |    6,008 |   9,597 |   16,989 |    41,888 |    51,951 |     52,067 |    52,480 | 41,092 | 35,395 | 53,357 |  54,386 |  52,996
Delaware ..............|  1,684 |  3,273 |\3\ 5,800 |   9,387 |   16,845 |    34,620 |    42,177 |     43,085 |    44,169 | 40,193 | 35,095 | 44,099 |  44,154 |  43,853
District of Columbia ..|  2,350 |  3,920 |    6,280 |  10,700 |   23,027 |    43,637 |    39,663 |\3\  40,854 |\3\ 42,068 | 45,814 | 47,975 | 55,585 |  41,522 |  41,583
Florida ...............|  1,012 |  2,958 |    5,080 |   8,785 |   14,875 |    30,275 |    34,411 |     34,980 |    35,594 | 37,615 | 30,991 | 38,565 |  36,024 |  35,604
                       |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
Georgia ...............|    770 |  1,963 |\4\ 3,904 |   7,520 |   14,547 |    29,541 |    35,786 |     37,344 |    39,210 | 32,199 | 30,307 | 37,630 |  37,463 |  38,010
Hawaii ................|    --- |    --- |    5,390 |   9,600 |   20,436 |    32,956 |    37,057 |     36,986 |    39,751 | 41,105 | 42,577 | 41,980 |  38,794 |  37,646
Idaho .................|  1,057 |  2,481 |    4,216 |   7,081 |   14,110 |    24,758 |    32,285 |     33,277 |\3\ 34,277 | 30,319 | 29,397 | 31,537 |  33,798 |  33,870
Illinois ..............|  1,700 |  3,458 |\5\ 5,814 |   9,789 |   18,271 |    33,912 |    42,411 |     43,686 |    45,499 | 41,914 | 38,066 | 43,197 |  44,399 |  44,465
Indiana................|  1,433 |  3,401 |    5,542 |   9,239 |   16,256 |    31,905 |    38,832 |     40,062 |\3\ 40,905 | 39,559 | 33,868 | 40,641 |  40,652 |  40,776
                       |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
Iowa ..................|  1,017 |  2,420 |\3\ 4,030 |   8,779 |   15,776 |    27,619 |    33,529 |     34,477 |    35,277 | 37,589 | 32,868 | 35,181 |  35,101 |  35,092
Kansas ................|  1,014 |  2,628 |\3\ 4,450 |   7,811 |   14,513 |    30,154 |    37,626 |     38,379 |    39,219 | 33,445 | 30,237 | 38,410 |  39,390 |  39,063
Kentucky ..............|    826 |  1,936 |    3,327 |   7,325 |   15,350 |    27,482 |    33,115 |     33,797 |\3\ 34,525 | 31,364 | 31,980 | 35,007 |  34,667 |  34,400
Louisiana .............|  1,006 |  2,983 |    4,978 |   7,264 |   14,020 |    25,036 |    29,005 |     30,499 |\3\ 30,346 | 31,102 | 29,210 | 31,891 |  30,365 |  31,043
Maine .................|    894 |  2,115 |    3,694 |   8,059 |   13,743 |    27,831 |    33,994 |     34,796 |    35,484 | 34,506 | 28,632 | 35,451 |  35,587 |  35,417
                       |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
Maryland ..............|  1,642 |  3,594 |    5,557 |   9,885 |   18,308 |    37,520 |    42,958 |     42,988 |    43,618 | 42,325 | 38,143 | 47,793 |  44,972 |  43,755
Massachusetts .........|  2,037 |  3,338 |\6\ 5,545 |   9,347 |   18,900 |    40,175 |    52,663 |\3\  54,244 |\3\ 55,630 | 40,021 | 39,377 | 51,175 |  55,132 |  55,211
Michigan ..............|  1,576 |  3,420 |    5,654 |  10,125 |   20,682 |\3\ 37,286 |    46,832 |\3\  52,288 |\3\ 58,228 | 43,352 | 43,089 | 47,495 |  49,027 |  53,221
Minnesota .............|  1,276 |  3,013 |    5,275 |   9,250 |   16,654 |    33,340 |\3\ 37,680 |     39,470 |\3\ 40,320 | 39,606 | 34,697 | 42,469 |  39,446 |  40,174
Mississippi ...........|    559 |  1,416 |    3,314 |   5,959 |   12,274 |    25,079 |    28,712 |     28,648 |    29,857 | 25,515 | 25,572 | 31,946 |  30,058 |  29,159
                       |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
Missouri...............|  1,159 |  2,581 |    4,536 |   8,064 |   14,543 |    28,166 |    33,878 |     34,788 |    35,657 | 34,528 | 30,299 | 35,878 |  35,466 |  35,408
Montana ...............|  1,184 |  2,962 |\3\ 4,425 |   7,875 |   15,080 |    29,526 |    30,908 |\3\  31,836 |    32,536 | 33,719 | 31,418 | 37,611 |  32,357 |  32,404
Nebraska ..............|    829 |  2,292 |    3,876 |   7,633 |   14,236 |    27,024 |    34,023 |     35,045 |    35,800 | 32,682 | 29,660 | 34,423 |  35,618 |  35,670
Nevada ................|  1,557 |  3,209 |    5,693 |   9,615 |   17,290 |    31,970 |    37,879 |     39,179 |    39,002 | 41,169 | 36,022 | 40,724 |  39,655 |  39,878
New Hampshire .........|  1,258 |  2,712 |    4,455 |   8,016 |   13,508 |\3\ 29,798 |    42,188 |\3\  43,455 |\3\ 44,234 | 34,322 | 28,143 | 37,957 |  44,166 |  44,230
                       |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
New Jersey ............|  2,093 |  3,511 |    5,871 |   9,650 |   18,851 |    37,485 |    51,296 |     52,411 |    53,196 | 41,319 | 39,275 | 47,749 |  53,700 |  53,346
New Mexico ............|  1,144 |  3,215 |    5,382 |  10,021 |   15,406 |    25,790 |    29,389 |     30,914 |    31,580 | 42,907 | 32,097 | 32,852 |  30,767 |  31,465
New York ..............|  2,604 |  3,706 |    6,537 |  11,240 |   20,400 |    40,000 |    48,754 |     48,600 |\3\ 49,647 | 48,127 | 42,502 | 50,952 |  51,039 |  49,467
North Carolina ........|    946 |  2,688 |    4,178 |   7,762 |   14,445 |    28,952 |    31,622 |     32,383 |    34,584 | 33,235 | 30,095 | 36,879 |  33,104 |  32,961
North Dakota ..........|    745 |  2,324 |    3,695 |   6,840 |   13,684 |    23,788 |    27,153 |     27,905 |    28,438 | 29,287 | 28,509 | 30,301 |  28,426 |  28,403
                       |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
Ohio ..................|  1,587 |  3,088 |    5,124 |   8,594 |   16,100 |    32,467 |    39,038 |     39,938 |    40,345 | 36,797 | 33,543 | 41,357 |  40,868 |  40,650
Oklahoma ..............|  1,014 |  2,736 |    4,659 |   7,257 |   13,500 |    23,944 |    30,584 |     31,894 |    32,164 | 31,072 | 28,126 | 30,500 |  32,018 |  32,463
Oregon ................|  1,333 |  3,323 |    5,535 |   9,200 |   16,996 |    32,100 |    40,980 |     42,420 |\3\ 43,652 | 39,392 | 35,410 | 40,889 |  42,901 |  43,177
Pennsylvania ..........|  1,640 |  3,006 |    5,308 |   8,899 |   17,060 |    34,110 |    47,087 |     48,178 |    48,701 | 38,103 | 35,543 | 43,450 |  49,294 |  49,037
Rhode Island ..........|  1,809 |  3,294 |\7\ 5,499 |   9,030 |   18,425 |    36,704 |\3\ 42,498 |\3\  44,188 |    45,504 | 38,664 | 38,387 | 46,754 |  44,490 |  44,976
                       |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
South Carolina ........|    743 |  1,891 |    3,450 |   7,069 |   13,670 |    28,453 |    33,155 |     34,421 |    35,238 | 30,267 | 28,480 | 36,244 |  34,709 |  35,035
South Dakota ..........|    807 |  2,064 |    3,725 |   7,200 |   13,010 |    22,120 |    27,354 |     27,767 |\3\ 28,365 | 30,828 | 27,105 | 28,177 |  28,636 |  28,262
Tennessee .............|    862 |  2,302 |    3,929 |   7,187 |   14,193 |    27,949 |    34,412 |     35,555 |    36,700 | 30,773 | 29,570 | 35,602 |  36,025 |  36,189
Texas .................|  1,079 |  3,122 |    4,708 |   7,598 |   14,729 |    28,549 |    33,861 |     34,937 |    36,158 | 32,533 | 30,687 | 36,366 |  35,448 |  35,560
Utah ..................|  1,394 |  3,103 |    5,096 |   8,049 |   17,403 |    24,591 |    31,780 |     32,492 |\3\ 34,247 | 34,464 | 36,258 | 31,324 |  33,270 |  33,071
                       |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
Vermont ...............|    981 |  2,348 |    4,466 |   8,225 |   13,300 |    29,012 |    37,054 |     36,053 |    36,299 | 35,217 | 27,709 | 36,956 |  38,791 |  36,696
Virginia ..............|    899 |  2,328 |    4,312 |   8,364 |   14,655 |    31,656 |    35,660 |     36,602 |    37,458 | 35,812 | 30,532 | 40,324 |  37,332 |  37,255
Washington ............|  1,706 |  3,487 |\7\ 5,643 |   9,792 |   19,735 |    31,828 |    39,594 |     39,594 |    40,624 | 41,927 | 41,116 | 40,543 |  41,450 |  40,300
West Virginia..........|  1,170 |  2,425 |    3,952 |   7,954 |   14,395 |    23,842 |    33,296 |     34,345 |    34,564 | 34,057 | 29,991 | 30,370 |  34,857 |  34,958
Wisconsin .............|  1,379 |  3,007 |\8\ 4,870 |   9,150 |   16,335 |    32,445 |    39,212 |     41,848 |\3\ 42,750 | 39,178 | 34,033 | 41,329 |  41,050 |  42,594
Wyoming ...............|  1,169 |  2,798 |    4,937 |   8,496 |   16,830 |    29,047 |    32,493 |     32,620 |    32,979 | 36,377 | 35,064 | 37,000 |  34,016 |  33,202
                       |========|========|==========|=========|==========|===========|===========|============|===========|========|========|========|=========|=========
    Outlying areas     |        |        |          |         |          |           |           |            |           |        |        |        |         |
American Samoa ........|    --- |    --- |      852 |   5,130 |      --- |       --- |       --- |        --- |       --- | 21,965 |    --- |    --- |    ---  |    ---
Guam ..................|    --- |    --- |    4,107 |   7,800 |      --- |       --- |       --- |        --- |       --- | 33,397 |    --- |    --- |    ---  |    ---
Puerto Rico ...........|    --- |    --- |\9\ 2,360 |     --- |      --- |       --- |       --- |        --- |       --- |    --- |    --- |    --- |    ---  |    ---
Virgin Islands ........|    --- |    --- |    3,407 |     --- |      --- |       --- |       --- |        --- |       --- |    --- |    --- |    --- |    ---  |    ---
_______________________|________|________|__________|_________|__________|___________|___________|____________|___________|________|________|________|_________|_________

\1\Includes supervisors, principals, classroom teachers, and other instructional staff.
\2\Based on the Consumer Price Index prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Price index does not account for different rates of change in the cost of living among states.
\3\Estimated by National Education Association.
\4\Excludes kindergarten teachers.
\5\Includes administrators.
\6\Includes clerical assistants to instructional personnel.
\7\Includes attendance personnel.
\8\Excludes vocational schools not operated as part of the regular public school system.
\9\Median salary.
---Data not available.

NOTE.--Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Statistics of State School Systems; National Education Association, Estimates of School Statistics; (Latest edition 1997-98. Copyright @ 1998 by the National Education Association. All rights reserved.) and unpublished data. (This table was prepared October 1998.)


1999 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Issue of the Digest
1990 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006, USA
Phone: (202) 502-7300 (map)