Texas Teachers Earn Thousands Less Than National Average

Teacher Appreciation Week is the week of March 6th, but these days not many teachers are feeling appreciated when it comes to their salaries!

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Teachers are superheroes and they are overworked and underpaid and that statement unfortunately seems to be true according to a recent report.

According to the National Education Association (NEA), Texas educators are facing a staggering gap of over $9,000 in comparison to their counterparts nationwide.

The report, which analyzed data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), reveals that the average salary for Texas teachers stands at $62,463 for the current school year, while the national average sits at $71,699. This places Texas at a discouraging No. 29 among all states and Washington, D.C. in terms of teacher compensation.

Texas provides over $5,000 less per student in school funding compared to the national average, creating additional challenges for teachers and students alike.

Alarmingly, the NEA report highlights a concerning decline in teachers' purchasing power over the years. Adjusted for inflation, teachers in Texas now earn 6% less on average than they did in 2015. This trend has only worsened since the previous school year, with Texas teachers experiencing a larger deficit in comparison to the national average.

"Many promising teachers spend only a few years in the classroom before seeking better-paying professions. This inadequate pay structure, coupled with recent political attacks on teachers, are significant contributors to Texas' teacher shortage crisis."

These reports are sad to read but unfortunately, it’s a sad reality. We’re hearing more and more about shortages in teachers and this pay gap is definitely a huge reason for that shortage.