Visualizing Washington's Teacher Workforce
Understanding the trends impacting teacher recruitment and retention
Teacher Salaries
Understanding the relationship between beginning teacher salaries and retention
Key Findings
- Beginning teacher salaries varied widely across Washington, from less than $10,000 for part-time teachers to more than $60,000 for full-time beginning teachers, with an average of $39,400.
- TRI pay (additional time, responsibility, and incentive pay) was a major source of this variation; in some districts, beginning teachers did not earn any TRI pay, and other districts boosted beginning teacher salaries by as much as $20,000.
- Among teachers who earned less than $35,000 in their first year (the bottom quartile), 37 percent remained through 2016/17. In comparison, 51 percent of those who earned more than $50,000 in their first year (the top quartile) remained through 2016/17.
Beginning teacher salaries vary widely across the state.
LEGEND: Average total salary for beginning teachers
<$20,000 | $20,000–$29,000 | $30,000–$39,000 | >$40,000 | No data available
Source: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, S-275 Personnel Reporting, 2011/12–2016/17.
One of the major sources of variation in teacher salaries is TRI pay (which is funded through local levies). For beginning teachers, TRI pay ranged from $0 to $20,000. School districts with the highest total salaries and highest TRI pay tended to be in urban areas, especially Seattle and surrounding districts, where the cost of living is highest.
TRI pay varies widely across the state, with the highest TRI pay concentrated in urban areas.
LEGEND: Average additional salary for beginning teachers
<$1,600 | $1,600–$3,499 | $3,500–$5,799 | $5,800–$20,000 | No data available
Source: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, S-275 Personnel Reporting, 2011/12–2016/17.
There is a relationship between salary and retention. Even among teachers who left their districts, the top-quartile earners stayed an average of one year longer in their first district than the bottom-quartile earners. Other recent analyses support findings of a positive relationship between teacher salary and retention in Washington state.
Teachers who earned higher salaries in their first year remained in their districts through 2016/17 more often than teachers who earned low salaries.
LEGEND: Beginning teacher salary
Began teaching in 2011/12 | Began teaching in 2012/13
Among teachers who left their districts, those who earned higher salaries in their first year stayed longer than those who earned lower salaries.
LEGEND: Beginning teacher salary
Began teaching in 2011/12 | Began teaching in 2012/13
Questions to Consider
What other information is needed to explain the relationship between salary and beginning teacher retention?
Will new state funding for education change patterns in hiring and retaining beginning teachers?
Key Findings
- Beginning teacher salaries varied widely across Washington, from less than $10,000 for part-time teachers to more than $60,000 for full-time beginning teachers, with an average of $39,400.
- TRI pay (additional time, responsibility, and incentive pay) was a major source of this variation; in some districts, beginning teachers did not earn any TRI pay, and other districts boosted beginning teacher salaries by as much as $20,000.
- Among teachers who earned less than $35,000 in their first year (the bottom quartile), 37 percent remained through 2016/17. In comparison, 51 percent of those who earned more than $50,000 in their first year (the top quartile) remained through 2016/17.
Beginning teacher salaries vary widely across the state.
LEGEND: Average total salary for beginning teachers
<$20,000 | $20,000–$29,000 | $30,000–$39,000 | >$40,000 | No data available
Source: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, S-275 Personnel Reporting, 2011/12–2016/17.
One of the major sources of variation in teacher salaries is TRI pay (which is funded through local levies). For beginning teachers, TRI pay ranged from $0 to $20,000. School districts with the highest total salaries and highest TRI pay tended to be in urban areas, especially Seattle and surrounding districts, where the cost of living is highest.
TRI pay varies widely across the state, with the highest TRI pay concentrated in urban areas.
LEGEND: Average additional salary for beginning teachers
<$1,600 | $1,600–$3,499 | $3,500–$5,799 | $5,800–$20,000 | No data available
Source: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, S-275 Personnel Reporting, 2011/12–2016/17.
There is a relationship between salary and retention. Even among teachers who left their districts, the top-quartile earners stayed an average of one year longer in their first district than the bottom-quartile earners. Other recent analyses support findings of a positive relationship between teacher salary and retention in Washington state.
Teachers who earned higher salaries in their first year remained in their districts through 2016/17 more often than teachers who earned low salaries.
LEGEND: Beginning teacher salary
Began teaching in 2011/12 | Began teaching in 2012/13
Among teachers who left their districts, those who earned higher salaries in their first year stayed longer than those who earned lower salaries.
LEGEND: Beginning teacher salary
Began teaching in 2011/12 | Began teaching in 2012/13
Questions to Consider
What other information is needed to explain the relationship between salary and beginning teacher retention?
Will new state funding for education change patterns in hiring and retaining beginning teachers?