2025 Reports Educator Pay in America

Annual reports from NEA examine educator pay and school funding from pre-K through college show that salaries continue to lag woefully behind inflation over the past decade.

Low pay limits the ability to attract and retain quality educators in the profession amid a looming educator shortage and sagging educator morale due chiefly to low pay and poor working conditions.

The data shows that a combination of elected leaders in some states stepping up and the tireless advocacy of educators and their unions has resulted in the largest year-over-year teacher pay increase in over a decade.

However, despite this progress, much work remains to close the teacher pay penalty and address inadequate pay for all educators, and finally make the investments necessary at the state and local levels to attract and retain quality educators into community public schools.