Study: Utah ranks near bottom of US for teacher pay
Sep 7, 2021, 12:57 PM
SALT LAKE CITY — As we work our way through this new school year, we know good teachers are an invaluable resource in Utah.
But a new study shows the Beehive State could be doing a whole lot better when it comes to teacher pay.
Utah pays teachers close to $53,000, which is nearly 3% higher than other jobs in general. But that lands the state all the way down at No. 43 in the country, according to business.org.
How much should teachers make per year to start? A recent survey shows in Utah we pay $53,000 on avg which is 3% higher than jobs in general in our state… not great as Pennsylvania, for example, pays 30% higher than other jobs ($70,000)- Thoughts? @KSL5TV
— Dan Spindle KSL (@DanSpindleKSL) September 7, 2021
Pennsylvania, for example, takes the top spot paying teachers $70,000 — 30% higher than the average salary in the Keystone State.
Closer to home, you can look at our neighbors in Wyoming where the average teacher pay is $59,000, more than 15% higher than the average wage.
This survey also shows the change in pay over the last decade. Since 2010, pay for teachers has gone in the wrong direction in Utah — down more than 3%.
Washington, California and Oregon were the only Western states to raise teachers’ wages over the last decade, as Idaho is down 4%, Nevada over 7% and Arizona is near a 10% drop.
The good news?
The Associated Press published an article a few months back showing that Utah’s teacher retention from 2019 to 2020 was 93%, and that’s the best the State Board of Education had seen in years.
But to keep the best talent in our state to teach our children, school districts will have to stay competitive with other states
