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Most K-12 leaders know all too well about the teacher pay penalty that leaves teachers underpaid compared to similar college-educated professionals. But they may not know just how significantly it has grown nationally or in their home states over the last few years.

In 2021, the penalty hit a record -23.5%, according to by the Economic Policy Institute. Since 1996, the disparity has widened by just over 6%. Many inside and outside K-12 are citing this compensation gap as a key reason college students choose not to pursue a career in education, a trend that is obviously exacerbating the nation’s teacher shortage.

State-by-state, teacher weekly wage penalties range from -3.4% in Rhode Island to -35.9% in Colorado. And in 28 states, teachers are paid less than 80 cents on the dollar compared to similar college-educated workers.

There is also a disparity in the penalties for male and female teachers. In 1960, female teachers earned 14.7% more than other female college graduates in the workforce and remained close to parity into the mid-1990s. But by 2021, women were about 17% behind, a negative swing of nearly 32%. The penalty for male teachers, meanwhile, hit a record -35.2% last year.

Beyond the penalty, teacher salaries—when adjusted for inflation—have remained basically flat since 1996, increasing by just $29 over the last 25 years. And generous K-12 benefits packages do not cover the gap, considering the salaries of other college graduates have grown by $445 since 1996, the study also found.

“Without targeted and significant policy action—not just on teacher pay but on school funding more generally—there can be no reasonable expectation of reversal in sight for pandemic-stressed schools and those who serve public education,” the report concludes.

Teacher pay penalty: State-by-state numbers

Here’s a look at the teacher pay penalty in each state, from biggest to smallest:

1. Colorado: -35.9%
2. Oklahoma: -32.8%
3. Virginia: -32.7%
4. Arizona: -32.0%
5. Alabama: -30.6%
6. Oregon: -29.4%
7. Washington: -29.1%
8. Missouri: -28.3%
9. Louisiana: -27.8%
10. New Mexico: -27.4%
11. Georgia: -26.8%
12. Minnesota: -25.9%
13. Idaho: -25.2%
14. Kentucky: -24.7%
15. North Carolina: -24.5%
16. Maine: -24.0%
17. Tennessee: -23.8%
18. Illinois: -23.4%
19. Kansas: -22.6%
20. Utah: -22.5%
21. Wisconsin: -22.2%
22. Texas: -21.5%
23. Indiana: -21.4%
24. Nebraska: -20.7%
25. Arkansas: -20.5%
26. Massachusetts: -20.5%
27. Nevada: -20.4%
28. Maryland: -20.3%
29. New Hampshire: -19.9%
30. Florida: -19.6%
31. West Virginia: -19.2%
32. District of Columbia: -19.0%
33. Michigan: -18.4%
34. South Dakota: -17.9%
35. North Dakota: -17.8%
36. California: -17.6%
37. Connecticut: -17.1%
38. Montana: -17.0%
39. Iowa: -16.3%
40. Hawaii: -15.5%
41. Pennsylvania: -15.2%
42. Alaska: -14.9%
43. Mississippi: -14.7%
44. Ohio: -14.4%
45. Vermont: -13.6%
46. New York: -13.2%
47. Delaware: -10.9%
48. South Carolina: -8.3%
49. New Jersey: -4.5%
50. Wyoming: -4.0%
51. Rhode Island: -3.4%

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