RAISING THE BAR ON TEACHER PAY - MAY2023 - Evidence-based Brief

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by James

A May 2023 evidence-based brief argues for raising teacher pay amid widespread U.S. teacher shortages. It synthesizes national salary and workforce data showing large wage gaps between teachers and similarly educated college graduates, and explains how low compensation undermines satisfaction, retention, and the willingness of qualified non-teachers to return to classrooms. The brief also evaluates state and district approaches, including governors’ commitments and differentiated salary policies, to guide leaders in deciding whether and how far to increase pay.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Making a Compelling Case for Higher Teacher Pay Using National Statistics

Grounding Decisions on Teacher Pay in Data

Governors’ Teacher Salary Commitments

Examining State and District Approaches to Funding Teacher Salary Increases

Defining Competitive Teacher Salary

Considering Differentiated Salary Policies

Conclusion

References

MAY2023 RAISING THE BAR ON TEACHER PAY Center on Great Teachers and Leaders at AIR & The Teacher Salary Project Ellen Sherratt, Teacher Salary Project I Lisa Lach Ian, GTL Center at AIR I Keane Alavi, GTL Center at AIR Advancing Evidence. Improving Lives. Center on Great Teachers and Leaders THE TEACHER SALARY PROJECT AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH® I AIR.ORG Acknowledgments We thank Dean Gerdeman, Roddy Theobald, Laura Brady, and Alicia Espinoza at the American Institutes for Research ® for their input and reviews. We also thank the following individuals for their insight and feedback on early drafts: Ben Erwin, Tiffany McDole, and Eric Syverson, from the Education Commission of the States, and Marcy Magid and Andy Jewell, from the National Education Association. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this brief are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders, reviewers, or the institutions with which our reviewers are affiliated. Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 Making a Compelling Case for Higher Teacher Pay Using National Statistics..................................... 1 Grounding Decisions on Teacher Pay in Data ................................................................................ 3 Governors’ Teacher Salary Commitments ................................................................................. 3 Examining State and District Approaches to Funding Teacher Salary Increases............................ 6 Defining Competitive Teacher Salary ............................................................................................ 7 Considering Differentiated Salary Policies................................................................................... 14 Conclusion................................................................................................................................... 15 References .................................................................................................................................. 16 Exhibits Exhibit 1. Governors’ Commitments to Teachers’ Salaries ............................................................ 3 Exhibit 2. Salaries and Living Wages for Teachers Across the United States ................................. 9 Introduction Bipartisan support for raising teacher salaries has grown amid widespread teacher shortages across the United States. In January 2023, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (Cardona, 2023) announced the Raise the Bar: Lead the World initiative with the following statement: [We need to eliminate the] teacher shortage by providing a competitive salary. At a minimum, no teacher should make less than the average salary of people with similar degrees in their state We are working at the Department of Education to increase transparency on the teacher salary issue across the country and have called on states and districts to raise salaries to a competitive level. (para. 54–55) To this end, leaders in Congress introduced the bipartisan American Teacher Act and the Pay Teachers Act this past year, both of which would significantly increase federal support for competitive teacher salaries. In addition, 26 governors, both Democratic and Republican, committed to raising teacher pay in their states. Whether or not federal legislation is introduced, states and districts will play the most significant role in ensuring that teacher salaries are competitive enough to attract and retain diverse and talented educators. Many state and district leaders are actively engaged in addressing teacher shortages through more competitive teacher salaries, while others are still considering it. This brief is intended to help these state and district leaders determine whether the time is right to raise the bar on teacher p

FAQs

Why does the brief recommend raising teacher salaries?

It links teacher pay to recruitment and retention outcomes, citing research on teacher vacancies, satisfaction, and perceptions of pay fairness during the ongoing shortage.

What federal and political actions does the brief describe as part of the push for higher pay?

It references the Department of Education’s Raise the Bar initiative and congressional proposals such as the American Teacher Act and the Pay Teachers Act, along with commitments by 26 governors.

How does the brief suggest states and districts should decide whether to increase pay?

It encourages leaders to use national and local data to assess competitiveness, considering evidence from salary comparisons, funding approaches, and differentiated pay policies.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by James