Teachers in Florida have almost the lowest average salaries of any state in the country, according to a new report.
The National Education Association’s (NEA) 2024 report on educator pay in all 50 states and the District of Columbia shows the average teacher salary in Florida was $53,098 in the 2022-23 year.
Only West Virginia ranked lower with an average teacher salary of $52,870, according to the report. In contrast, the average teacher salary in California is $95,160, the highest in the country.
Florida had ranked 48th when it came to average teacher salary last year, but dropped to 50th place in this year’s report after salaries rose by only about 3 percent.
An elementary school is shown in Miami, Florida, on April 19, 2023. A new report shows that Florida has almost the lowest average teacher salary in the country. An elementary school is shown in Miami, Florida, on April 19, 2023. A new report shows that Florida has almost the lowest average teacher salary in the country. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The average teacher salary in the state was far below the national average, which increased to $69,544. It was also below Florida’s minimum living wage of $58,970—defined as the income needed for a family of one adult and one child to have a modest but adequate standard of living in the most affordable metro area—according to the NEA.
Florida’s average starting teacher salary was $47,178, giving it a rank of 16th in the country. The average higher education faculty salary in Florida is $102,927, which is 15th in the country.
The NEA said its findings show that chronic low pay plagues the teaching profession in general, with 77 percent of school districts paying teachers a starting salary below $50,000 and more than a third of full time K-12 education support professionals earning less than $25,000 a year.
The findings come as Florida is dealing with a worsening teacher shortage. There were more than 7,500 advertised vacancies for teachers and educational support staff, the Florida Education Association (FEA) reported in January.
Florida Teacher Salaries Fall to Nearly the Lowest in the US
