Teachers earn 26.9% less than comparable college graduates: Public school teacher weekly wage penalty (or premium) for all teachers and by gender, 1979–2024
| Year | All | Female | Male | All | Female | Male | All | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | -7.1%
|
6.5%
|
-16.6%
|
||||||
| 1980 | -9.3% | 4.5% | -19.2% | ||||||
| 1981 | -10.1% | 3.1% | -19.0% | ||||||
| 1982 | -10.2% | 2.8% | -19.4% | ||||||
| 1983 | -11.8% | 1.0% | -20.7% | ||||||
| 1984 | -10.0% | 2.5% | -19.7% | ||||||
| 1985 | -10.2% | 1.9% | -19.5% | ||||||
| 1986 | -8.8% | 3.2% | -18.4% | ||||||
| 1987 | -7.9% | 3.9% | -18.1% | ||||||
| 1988 | -8.0% | 5.1% | -18.2% | ||||||
| 1989 | -8.2% | 3.0% | -17.0% | ||||||
| 1990 | -7.7% | 4.0% | -17.9% | ||||||
| 1991 | -9.1% | 0.6% | -16.3% | ||||||
| 1992 | -7.0% | 3.1% | -15.6% | ||||||
| 1993 | -5.1%
|
4.1% | -13.1%
|
-5.10% | 4.10% | -13.10% | |||
| 1994 | -5.40% | 2.70% | -13.70% | ||||||
| 1995 | -5.70% | 1.30% | -14.40% | ||||||
| 1996 | -6.1% | -0.1% | -15.1% | -6.1% | -0.1% | -15.1% | |||
| 1997 | -6.2% | 1.2% | -18.6% | ||||||
| 1998 | -9.0% | -1.5% | -20.5% | ||||||
| 1999 | -10.4% | -2.7% | -21.7% | ||||||
| 2000 | -11.8% | -5.1% | -22.7% | ||||||
| 2001 | -12.1% | -4.0% | -25.3% | ||||||
| 2002 | -12.1% | -5.1% | -24.1% | ||||||
| 2003 | -11.3% | -4.9% | -21.2% | ||||||
| 2004 | -12.8% | -6.2% | -23.3% | ||||||
| 2005 | -13.3% | -6.3% | -24.5% | ||||||
| 2006 | -15.0% | -8.0% | -27.3% | ||||||
| 2007 | -11.7% | -4.7% | -23.4% | ||||||
| 2008 | -14.5% | -7.7% | -25.7% | ||||||
| 2009 | -12.5% | -4.5% | -24.7% | ||||||
| 2010 | -11.9% | -4.6% | -23.7% | ||||||
| 2011 | -12.8% | -6.4% | -24.2% | ||||||
| 2012 | -16.0% | -10.0% | -26.2% | ||||||
| 2013 | -16.4% | -10.1% | -27.3% | ||||||
| 2014 | -16.5% | -10.5% | -26.2% | ||||||
| 2015 | -18.4% | -13.4% | -26.7% | ||||||
| 2016 | -19.4% | -12.2% | -31.6% | ||||||
| 2017 | -20.9% | -15.5% | -30.5% | ||||||
| 2018 | -22.0% | -15.9% | -31.8% | ||||||
| 2019 | -19.2% | -13.2% | -30.2% | ||||||
| 2020 | -21.6% | -15.2% | -33.8% | ||||||
| 2021 | -23.5% | -17.1% | -35.2% | ||||||
| 2022 | -26.4% | -21.3% | -36.6% | ||||||
| 2023 | -26.6%
|
-21.4%
|
-36.3%
|
||||||
| 2024 | -26.9%
|
-21.5%
|
-36.4%
|
Notes: Figure shows regression-adjusted weekly wage penalties (or premiums) for public school teachers (elementary, middle, and secondary) relative to their college-educated, nonteaching peers. Data points for 1994 and 1995 are unavailable; dotted lines represent interpolated data. See Allegretto and Mishel 2019, Appendix A, for more details on data and methodology.
Figure reports regression-adjusted teacher weekly wage penalties: how much less, in percentage terms, public school teachers (elementary, middle, and secondary) earn in weekly wages relative to their college-educated, nonteaching peers. College-educated workers refers to workers who have a bachelor’s degree or more education. The dependent variable is (log) weekly wages with indicator controls on public school teacher, private school teacher, gender, and married, along with indicator sets on education (M.A., professional degree, Ph.D.) and race/ethnicity (Black, Hispanic, other); also included are age as a quartic and state fixed effects. See Allegretto and Mishel 2019, Appendix A, for more details on data and methodology.
Source: Author’s analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data accessed via the EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 2025.7.10 (EPI 2025a), https://microdata.epi.org.
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