What is the salary of a public and private high school teacher in the USA? How different are they?

Salary of school teacher in USA: As students and teachers head back to school, educational policy experts highlight the ongoing teacher shortage affecting districts nationwide. A recent study revealed around 50,000 vacant teaching positions, leaving significant gaps in the country’s educational system. With minimal efforts from state and federal governments to attract and retain teachers, school districts with limited resources face a tough challenge in filling these positions.

In 2021, the National Education Association reported that 56 percent of preschool, elementary, and secondary school teachers had accumulated up to $45,000 in student loans, with 26 percent owing more than $65,000. Many educators continue to pay off these loans even after a decade in the profession, with 53 percent still having outstanding balances. Reducing the financial burden for new teachers could help attract more individuals to the field.

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Average salary for a private school teacher

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), private school teachers earn different median annual salaries based on their grade levels. For elementary school teachers at private schools, the median salary is $47,480 per year. Kindergarten teachers at private schools earn a median salary of $46,520 per year, while high school teachers at these schools make a median salary of $56,510 per year.

Average salary for a public school teacher

In contrast, public school teachers generally earn more. The median annual salary for elementary school teachers in public schools is $61,760. Kindergarten teachers in public schools earn a median of $61,640 per year, and high school teachers in public schools have a median salary of $62,420 per year. These figures exclude the salaries of special education teachers.

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The difference a union makes

When bargaining with the few other teachers at their location, private school teachers frequently make less money than public school teachers, who frequently belong to unions that negotiate pay and working conditions at the district level.

According to research this month from the National Bureau for Economic Research (NBER), strikes have been one tool used to assist teachers in increasing their pay and improving their benefits over the past fifteen years. The research looked at 772 strikes that occurred in 27 states between 2007 and 2023.