Key Takeaways
- According to a new RAND survey, the share of teachers who intended to leave their jobs fell to 16 percent in 2025 from 22 percent in 2024.
- The share of teachers who report burnout dropped to 53 percent from 60 percent. However, teachers are more likely than similar working adults to report experiencing poor well-being on every indicator.
- In addition to reporting earning lower pay than their white counterparts, Black teachers are more likely to say they plan to leave their jobs. They also report more symptoms of depression than white teachers.
Teacher burnout and low pay have been affecting educators across the nation, pushing many of them to leave the profession or at least seriously consider doing so. Teacher retention has always been a challenge, but the factors and conditions that have driven so many out of the classroom were worsened by the COVID pandemic.
In 2025, there may be signs of progress. According to a new survey by the RAND Corporation, teachers are less likely to leave their jobs. However, concerns about their well-being persist and may be on the rise.
The State of the American Teacher survey (a survey of 1,419 K–12 public school teachers across the country, funded in part by the National Education Association) found that 16 percent of teachers report an intention to leave by the end of the 2024-25 school year—a decline of 6 percent from 2023-24.
Teacher Retention and Pay
Over the past few years, thanks in large part to the advocacy of educators and their unions, teacher pay has been increasing. According to the RAND survey, teachers reported a base salary of $73,000 in 2025, an increase of four percent from 2024, which mirrors the average salary reported in NEA’s most recent data. Teachers in states where collective bargaining is required reported earning an average of about $81,200, which is $20,900, or 27 percent more in base pay than teachers in states where bargaining is prohibited. Teachers in those states report an average of $60,300.
Overall, 52 percent of teachers in bargaining-prohibited states did not report a pay increase.
In states where bargaining is permitted but not required, teachers reported slightly higher average base pay of $63,900.
In the survey, teachers reported working 49 hours per week—a slight decline in recent years, but still 10 hours above their contracted hours. Between lesson planning, grading, and other administrative tasks, educators experience unduly heavy workloads as they address student needs.
Teacher Well-Being
Whether it’s due to student behavior, workload, or lower pay, teachers are reporting high stress levels. In 2025, 62 percent of teachers reported frequent job-related stress, compared to 33 percent of similar working adults. The RAND survey noted that the share of teachers reporting “frequent” job-related stress in 2025 remained was similar to levels reported in 2024 and 2023. About 21 percent of teachers found difficulty in coping with job-related stress—significantly higher than other working adults.
Additionally, 53 percent of teachers said they felt burned out, a drop of 7 percent from 2024. However, female teachers are consistently more likely to report experiencing frequent job-related stress and burnout than male teachers.
“The relative stability of teachers’ reports of their well-being since 2023 suggests that teacher well-being may have stabilized since the COVID-19 pandemic,” the report notes, and is a finding consistent with other recent surveys that suggest teacher morale has improved slightly.
The RAND survey also asked teachers about the causes of stress. Fifty-two percent of teachers said their stress stems from managing student behavior. Low pay was cited by 39 percent. Some other factors included: preparing students for state standardized tests, working outside contract hours, supporting students’ mental health and well-being, and performing administrative work outside of teaching.
In other surveys, poor working conditions are often cited by educators as the top reason—more so than low pay—why they leave or may leave their jobs. This is why NEA members have put issues such as mental health support, class size, teacher autonomy, and healthy learning environments on the bargaining table and on the agendas of local and state lawmakers.
Black and Brown Educators: Lower Pay and Higher Stress
The RAND survey found that low pay and job-related stress are disproportionately affecting teachers of color. For example, Black educators reported earning an average of $4,400 less than their white counterparts. White teachers reported a base salary of $73,100, while Black educators reported $68,700. Black female teachers experience an even wider gap.
Black and Brown educators are also more likely to report an intent to leave their jobs compared to their white counterparts. Twenty-eight percent of Black teachers and 23 percent of Hispanic teachers say they may leave, compared to 14 percent for their white counterparts.
These educators also reported higher rates of depression, stress, and burnout. For the 2023-2024 school year, 51 percent of Black teachers reported frequent job-related stress. Fifty-nine percent of Hispanic/Latino teachers also reported job related stress.
In 2024-25, 56 percent of Black teachers and 66 percent of Hispanic/Latino teachers reported job-related stress. Twenty-five percent of Black teachers and 25 percent of Hispanic teachers reported symptoms of depression, compared to 18 percent of their white counterparts. Fifty-eight percent of Hispanic teachers and 59 percent of Black teachers reported burnout for the 2024-2025 school year—still 5 percentage points higher than white teachers.
Teachers of color also reported being less satisfied with their work hours. Forty-three percent of Black teachers said they were satisfied with their working hours, compared to the 54 percent of white teachers who were satisfied with their working hours.
Similarly to Black teachers, only 41 percent of Hispanic/Latino teachers found themselves satisfied with their working hours. According to the RAND survey report, “It is possible that systematic differences in teaching experience or residence in a state that requires, allows, or prohibits bargaining could explain some of these differences between White teachers and Black and Hispanic teachers.”
