Though the average national teacher salary continues to rise, educators’ pay still can’t keep up with inflation, according to a report released Monday by the National Education Association.
The average pay for teachers nationwide was $74,495 in the 2024-25 school year — an increase from the national average of $71,985 in 2023-24, NEA found. But despite these ongoing salary gains, teacher pay actually dropped 5% over the past decade when inflation is factored in.
The nation’s largest teacher’s union also reported that teachers in collective bargaining states made 24% more than their peers in states without collective bargaining laws.
This year, almost half of states — 22 — have introduced at least 64 bills to increase teacher pay, according FutureEd, a think tank at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy that tracks the issue.
At the same time, state policymakers and K-12 leaders are navigating difficult budget decisions amid declining public school enrollment and uncertain federal funding streams. Some districts are also dealing with ongoing challenges to recruit and retain certified teachers.
NEA President Becky Pringle said in a Monday statement that educators are “struggling to stay in the profession they love,” and that their pay hasn’t kept pace with inflation because of elected officials’ policy choices.
“Leaders have tolerated widening income inequality, allowing CEO compensation to climb dramatically while educators struggle to maintain their spending power,” Pringle said.
As districts work through budget decisions and challenges with teacher retention and recruitment, here are the standout figures from NEA’s teacher pay report.
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