Education in States and Nations: 1991

(ESN) Indicator 35: Teacher salaries

Teacher salaries are an important indicator of the level of investment in a nation's or state's education system. Without exception across nations and states, teacher salaries constitute the greatest portion of education expenditure. The amount of money paid to teachers is a primary factor in attracting and retaining the most desirable candidates for teaching positions. This indicator presents data on average teacher salaries for the U.S. and its states and, in other countries, for secondary school teachers with approximately 15 years of experience (as listed on union or government salary schedules), about the average number of years of experience among U.S. teachers. Annual teacher salaries are also adjusted here in two ways: by dividing them by the country or state gross product per capita, and by the average number of school days per year. The first adjustment allows for comparisons in teacher salaries across nations and states relative to the wealth from which each nation and state can draw. The second adjustment allows for comparisons in annual teacher salaries across nations and states given the number of school days.

• The average teacher salary in the United States for the school year 1991-1992 was about $34,000. That was the median among the G-7 countries for mid-career secondary school teachers. Salaries for mid- career teachers in West Germany, France, and Canada were higher (over $39,000 in France and West Germany); while salaries for mid-career teachers in Japan, England and Scotland, and Italy were lower (less than $22,000 in Italy) than that for the United States.

• The range of salaries for mid-career secondary school teachers across countries was slightly wider than the average teacher salary range across states. Teachers in the state with the highest salaries, Connecticut, received twice the average salary of their counterparts in South Dakota ($47,510 and $23,291, respectively). Teachers in Switzerland, the country with the highest-paid teachers, received almost two-and-a-half times the salary of Italian teachers ($52,358 and $21,566, respectively).

• Fourteen of the 18 other countries had ratios of secondary school teacher salaries to GDP per capita of 1.75 or higher. Only 4 U.S. states had ratios that high.

• When annual salaries for 1992 were divided by the actual number of school days per year, the U.S. average teacher salary per school day ($191) was just below Canada's ($194) and just above West Germany's ($181). The average teacher salaries per school day in other large countries were lower - $170 in England and Scotland, $147 in Japan, and $106 in Italy.

Notes on interpretation:

It is difficult to adjust salaries across nations and states to account for all the various conditions that contribute to the quality of the work. The teacher salaries presented here are not adjusted for varying working conditions, such as class size, or for teacher training.

Unlike in most other countries, there is little difference in salary levels between U.S. elementary and secondary school teachers. In some countries, the difference can be quite large, with secondary school teachers paid more.

There exists disagreement about the relative length and intensity of a teacher's workday across countries. U.S. teachers tend to spend more time per day or per week in front of a class than do their international counterparts. But, this does not necessarily mean they have a greater workload. Teachers in other countries may spend more time planning their courses, preparing classes, and grading homework.

Table 34b

Figure 35a