RD38 - Biennial Report on Public School Teacher Compensation


Executive Summary:
In the 2004-2005 school year, the average entry-level salary for Virginia public school teachers was $31,924. Comparable entry-level salaries in the private sector were 3.71% higher during that same time. However, when adjusted to reflect the actual number of days worked annually (200 for teachers and 234 for private sector employees), the entry-level salary for Virginia public school teachers is 12.8% above that of private industry.

Entry-level salaries for teachers are 24.9% higher than salaries for comparable state positions. When adjusted to reflect the actual number of days worked annually (200 for teachers, 234 for state employees), the entry-level salary for Virginia public school teachers is 48.5% above that of comparable state employees.

Virginia ranks seventeenth out of the fifty states and the District of Columbia in average salaries for beginning teachers. The Virginia average is 102.3% of the national average.

Average Teacher Salaries

Virginia’s average salary for public school teachers was $43,936 in 2003/2004, and this ranked Virginia as 20th among 50 states and the District of Columbia for that year. The average public school teacher salary in Virginia ranks second among 12 states in the southeastern United States. The Virginia average is 7.5% higher than the southeastern states’ average and 94.3% of the national average.

Final decisions on increases to teacher salaries are made by localities. Average salaries for the 2004-2005 school year ranged from a high of $61,407 in Arlington County to a low of $30,516 in Amelia County.

Actions Taken to Improve Teacher Salaries

Local school boards engaged in a variety of initiatives aimed at increasing teacher pay. In 2004-2005, all jurisdictions reported increases for their teachers’ salaries. The highest overall percentage increase reported was 9.0% in Portsmouth City.

In the 2005 Appropriation Act, Chapter 951 of the 2005 Virginia Acts of Assembly (Reconvened Session), the General Assembly proposed and the Governor approved a budget appropriating state tax funds sufficient to provide each classroom teacher with a 3.0% pay raise. It should be noted that each school division could choose to implement all or part of the 3.0% salary increase.

Also, the Department of Education produced a report that that Virginia’s average teacher salary lagged the national average by 6.2% in FY04, a smaller difference than each of the proceeding twelve years. With the Governor and General Assembly approving the 3.0% teacher salary increases, localities have budgeted a combined average teacher salary increase of 4.8% percent.