69ý

Special Report
Education

The Salary Gap

By Christy Lynn Wilson — January 13, 2000 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

A growing gap between salaries for public and private school teachers and other college graduates may make it increasingly difficult to lure and keep qualified people in the classroom, according to an Education Week study conducted for Quality Counts 2000.

Across the country and in every state, such teachers are paid less on average than other college-educated adults. As they get older and acquire more education, the gap grows much bigger.

And the pay differences have worsened during the economic boom of the 1990s.

Education Week worked with Martha T. Scobee of the University of Louisville’s Kentucky Data Center to analyze earnings reported by adults to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The study examined data compiled by the Census Bureau in its “Current Population Survey: March Supplement.”

The survey asked teachers and other adults to report their total earned income over the course of the previous year.

According to the study, in 1998 teachers ages 22 to 28 earned an average of $7,894 less than other college graduates of the same age.

However, that gap is three times greater for teachers ages 44 to 50, who earned $23,655 less than their peers in other occupations.

Moreover, graduate studies yield only half the payoff for teachers as for individuals in other occupations.

On average, teachers in 1998 with master’s degrees earned $12,425 more than teachers who had only bachelor’s degrees; Americans outside the teaching profession earned an average of $24,648 more per year with a master’s than with a bachelor’s degree.

That all adds up to much lower potential earnings for teachers who remain in the classroom--even those who earn advanced degrees.

In fact, teachers ages 44 to 50 who held master’s degrees in 1998 earned a whopping $32,511 less than master’s degree holders of similar ages in other occupations--or $43,313 vs. $75,824--the study found.

While the prosperity train raced across the nation in the latter half of the 1990s, teachers have been left at the station. From 1994 to 1998, salaries for bachelor’s-degree holders outside teaching have Increased 17 percent, or $6,808, after adjusting for inflation.

And the average salary for people with master’s degrees in nonteaching fields increased 32 percent over inflation, or $17,505. The average inflation-adjusted salary for teachers with either degree increased less than 1 percent over the same period.

In March 2024, Education Week announced the end of the Quality Counts report after 25 years of serving as a comprehensive K-12 education scorecard. In response to new challenges and a shifting landscape, we are refocusing our efforts on research and analysis to better serve the K-12 community. For more information, please go here for the full context or learn more about the EdWeek Research Center.

A version of this article appeared in the January 13, 2000 edition of Education Week

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69ý
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: October 2, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 18, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 28, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read