Key Takeaways
- Full-time ESPs across K–12 and higher education institutions saw average earnings rise to $38,494—about $1,400 more than the prior year. However, inflation has taken a toll: real ESP pay has fallen nearly 9% over the past decade.
- In states with bargaining laws covering ESPs, average earnings were 15% higher for K-12 ESPs and 9% higher for higher education support staff.
- Nearly 32% of full-time K–12 ESPs earn less than $25,000 annually. Across K–12 and higher education combined, just over a quarter of all full-time ESPs fall below that threshold.
$38,494
32%
One Job Should Be Enough
Education Support Professionals are classified into nine career families: paraeducators, custodial, health, security, transportation, food service, skilled trades, technical, and clerical. ESPs keep our students safe, healthy, engaged, and learning, but have been underappreciated and underpaid for far too long.
This year’s ESP Earnings Report illustrates this serious situation. While average ESP salaries increased by $1,400, real ESP pay has fallen nearly 9% in the last 10 years.
Many ESPs struggle financially to do the work they love. They take on second and even third jobs to make ends meet and often struggle to live in the communities where they work. It hurts entire communities when bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, and other support staff struggle to pay rent, buy groceries, and save for retirement.
Anti-public education politicians have prioritized tax giveaways for big corporations and the 1%, starving our schools of the funding they need to pay ESPs what they deserve.
Paying these dedicated professionals competitive wages is the most critical way to acknowledge their value to our local schools, state, and nation.
The Union Advantage
When ESPs come together through their union, they win improvements in pay, working conditions, and support systems that help them stay in the profession—and help students reach their full potential.
Support staff with collective bargaining rights who work in K-12 public schools earn 15% more than their peers without a seat at the table, while higher education support staff bring home 9% more when they belong to a strong union.
Section with embed
ESP Bill Of Rights Campaign
K-12 ESP Earnings
| State | Salary 2023-24 ($) | Salary Rank 2023-24 | Salary 2024-25 ($) | Salary Rank 2024-25 | 2023-24 to 2024-25 Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $34,954 | $36,360 | � | 4.0% | |
| Alabama | $30,776 | 40 | $32,189 | 41 | 4.6% |
| Alaska | $40,588 | 9 | $41,359 | 8 | 1.9% |
| Arizona | $32,374 | 29 | $34,382 | 29 | 6.2% |
| Arkansas | $30,415 | 42 | $32,178 | 43 | 5.8% |
| California | $41,013 | 5 | $42,555 | 6 | 3.8% |
| Colorado | $35,249 | 21 | $36,679 | 20 | 4.1% |
| Connecticut | $40,743 | 8 | $40,691 | 10 | -0.1% |
| Delaware | $42,551 | 2 | $42,928 | 4 | 0.9% |
| District of Columbia | $41,097 | 4 | $43,775 | 2 | 6.5% |
| Florida | $33,324 | 26 | $34,645 | 27 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | $31,472 | 38 | $32,740 | 39 | 4.0% |
| Hawaii | $40,894 | 7 | $42,660 | 5 | 4.3% |
| Idaho | $28,345 | 47 | $29,618 | 48 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | $35,651 | 18 | $36,952 | 18 | 3.6% |
| Indiana | $31,501 | 37 | $32,593 | 40 | 3.5% |
| Iowa | $30,966 | 39 | $32,182 | 42 | 3.9% |
| Kansas | $28,270 | 48 | $29,786 | 47 | 5.4% |
| Kentucky | $28,088 | 49 | $29,312 | 49 | 4.4% |
| Louisiana | $29,764 | 44 | $31,245 | 44 | 5.0% |
| Maine | $31,708 | 35 | $33,488 | 33 | 5.6% |
| Maryland | $38,613 | 11 | $40,208 | 11 | 4.1% |
| Massachusetts | $37,876 | 13 | $39,921 | 13 | 5.4% |
| Michigan | $31,753 | 33 | $33,390 | 35 | 5.2% |
| Minnesota | $35,938 | 16 | $37,085 | 17 | 3.2% |
| Mississippi | $27,741 | 50 | $28,191 | 51 | 1.6% |
| Missouri | $31,711 | 34 | $33,194 | 37 | 4.7% |
| Montana | $32,037 | 30 | $33,902 | 30 | 5.8% |
| Nebraska | $30,408 | 43 | $32,777 | 38 | 7.8% |
| Nevada | $39,327 | 10 | $40,880 | 9 | 3.9% |
| New Hampshire | $32,762 | 28 | $35,296 | 26 | 7.7% |
| New Jersey | $42,233 | 3 | $43,660 | 3 | 3.4% |
| New Mexico | $29,457 | 45 | $31,149 | 45 | 5.7% |
| New York | $40,939 | 6 | $41,973 | 7 | 2.5% |
| North Carolina | $31,686 | 36 | $33,521 | 32 | 5.8% |
| North Dakota | $35,259 | 20 | $35,746 | 23 | 1.4% |
| Ohio | $35,775 | 17 | $37,108 | 16 | 3.7% |
| Oklahoma | $27,656 | 51 | $28,391 | 50 | 2.7% |
| Oregon | $34,656 | 23 | $35,742 | 24 | 3.1% |
| Pennsylvania | $36,869 | 15 | $37,118 | 15 | 0.7% |
| Rhode Island | $42,940 | 1 | $44,301 | 1 | 3.2% |
| South Carolina | $31,800 | 32 | $33,319 | 36 | 4.8% |
| South Dakota | $30,618 | 41 | $33,559 | 31 | 9.6% |
| Tennessee | $29,362 | 46 | $30,884 | 46 | 5.2% |
| Texas | $31,812 | 31 | $33,481 | 34 | 5.2% |
| Utah | $37,437 | 14 | $38,961 | 14 | 4.1% |
| Vermont | $35,071 | 22 | $36,789 | 19 | 4.9% |
| Virginia | $34,490 | 24 | $36,448 | 21 | 5.7% |
| Washington | $38,609 | 12 | $39,987 | 12 | 3.6% |
| West Virginia | $33,247 | 27 | $34,631 | 28 | 4.2% |
| Wisconsin | $35,577 | 19 | $36,286 | 22 | 2.0% |
| Wyoming | $33,676 | 25 | $35,705 | 25 | 6.0% |
Higher Ed ESP Earnings
| State | Salary 2023-24 ($) | Salary Rank 2023-24 | Salary 2024-25 ($) | Salary Rank 2024-25 | 2023-24 to 2024-25 Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $45,662 | $47,029 | � | 3.0% | |
| Alabama | $42,935 | 35 | $44,893 | 35 | 4.6% |
| Alaska | $44,515 | 26 | $47,631 | 22 | 7.0% |
| Arizona | $45,345 | 22 | $46,206 | 27 | 1.9% |
| Arkansas | $40,487 | 46 | $41,125 | 46 | 1.6% |
| California | $51,110 | 3 | $52,580 | 3 | 2.9% |
| Colorado | $48,471 | 11 | $50,054 | 10 | 3.3% |
| Connecticut | $54,653 | 1 | $55,105 | 1 | 0.8% |
| Delaware | $45,242 | 23 | $46,394 | 26 | 2.5% |
| District of Columbia | $48,520 | 10 | $52,016 | 4 | 7.2% |
| Florida | $42,681 | 37 | $43,070 | 40 | 0.9% |
| Georgia | $41,096 | 44 | $42,694 | 43 | 3.9% |
| Hawaii | $47,084 | 17 | $49,482 | 14 | 5.1% |
| Idaho | $39,438 | 49 | $40,873 | 47 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | $44,272 | 27 | $45,744 | 30 | 3.3% |
| Indiana | $44,251 | 28 | $45,895 | 28 | 3.7% |
| Iowa | $47,841 | 14 | $49,686 | 12 | 3.9% |
| Kansas | $43,069 | 34 | $43,724 | 39 | 1.5% |
| Kentucky | $41,865 | 39 | $43,757 | 38 | 4.5% |
| Louisiana | $41,860 | 40 | $42,299 | 45 | 1.0% |
| Maine | $43,371 | 33 | $47,852 | 19 | 10.3% |
| Maryland | $46,467 | 19 | $47,761 | 20 | 2.8% |
| Massachusetts | $50,558 | 4 | $51,672 | 5 | 2.2% |
| Michigan | $48,156 | 12 | $50,043 | 11 | 3.9% |
| Minnesota | $47,933 | 13 | $49,134 | 15 | 2.5% |
| Mississippi | $38,146 | 50 | $38,674 | 51 | 1.4% |
| Missouri | $44,201 | 29 | $46,410 | 25 | 5.0% |
| Montana | $41,360 | 42 | $43,066 | 41 | 4.1% |
| Nebraska | $45,151 | 24 | $46,521 | 24 | 3.0% |
| Nevada | $48,808 | 8 | $50,123 | 9 | 2.7% |
| New Hampshire | $41,709 | 41 | $45,555 | 33 | 9.2% |
| New Jersey | $52,064 | 2 | $53,282 | 2 | 2.3% |
| New Mexico | $42,788 | 36 | $45,566 | 32 | 6.5% |
| New York | $49,143 | 7 | $51,150 | 6 | 4.1% |
| North Carolina | $43,765 | 31 | $45,653 | 31 | 4.3% |
| North Dakota | $47,671 | 15 | $49,603 | 13 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | $47,636 | 16 | $47,597 | 23 | -0.1% |
| Oklahoma | $39,785 | 48 | $40,591 | 50 | 2.0% |
| Oregon | $46,023 | 20 | $47,877 | 18 | 4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | $45,562 | 21 | $47,632 | 21 | 4.5% |
| Rhode Island | $49,221 | 6 | $50,827 | 7 | 3.3% |
| South Carolina | $44,766 | 25 | $45,168 | 34 | 0.9% |
| South Dakota | $35,815 | 51 | $40,607 | 49 | 13.4% |
| Tennessee | $40,297 | 47 | $40,694 | 48 | 1.0% |
| Texas | $44,198 | 30 | $45,885 | 29 | 3.8% |
| Utah | $41,177 | 43 | $42,837 | 42 | 4.0% |
| Vermont | $40,544 | 45 | $42,389 | 44 | 4.6% |
| Virginia | $46,705 | 18 | $48,601 | 16 | 4.1% |
| Washington | $49,875 | 5 | $50,550 | 8 | 1.4% |
| West Virginia | $43,414 | 32 | $43,954 | 37 | 1.2% |
| Wisconsin | $48,568 | 9 | $48,004 | 17 | -1.2% |
| Wyoming | $41,936 | 38 | $44,280 | 36 | 5.6% |
