Estimated teacher weekly wage penalty with alternative specifications, 1979–2018

Model variations Original model Original model Original & adjust top codes Original & adjust top codes  Original & replace region with state effects Original & replace region with state effects Original but exclude noncollege workers Original but exclude noncollege workers Original using ORG weights Original using ORG weights All changes All changes
1979 -2.5% -3.5% -1.6% -6.8% -3.2% -7.3%
1980 -5.4% -6.6% -4.3% -9.2% -5.8% -9.6%
1981 -5.4% -7.1% -4.4% -9.2% -6.1% -10.3%
1982 -5.2% -7.4% -3.9% -8.6% -6.2% -10.5%
1983 -6.6% -9.5% -5.2% -10.0% -6.8% -12.1%
1984 -4.8% -8.3% -2.9% -7.8% -5.4% -10.3%
1985 -4.5% -8.4% -2.8% -7.6% -4.7% -10.5%
1986 -3.0% -7.7% -1.0% -5.5% -3.7% -9.0%
1987 -2.4% -7.8% 0.1% -5.0% -2.3% -8.1%
1988 -1.6% -7.7% 0.5% -4.3% -1.5% -8.3%
1989 -6.1% -7.2% -3.7% -8.7% -6.0% -8.5%
1990 -5.8% -7.1% -3.4% -8.0% -6.3% -8.0%
1991 -6.5% -7.9% -4.7% -8.4% -7.3% -9.3%
1992 -3.7% -5.1% -2.0% -5.9% -5.1% -7.3%
1993 -3.3% -4.7% -1.6% -5.0% -3.7% -5.3%
1994
1995
1996 -4.3% -5.7% -2.6% -6.0% -4.7% -6.3%
1997 -5.3% -6.9% -3.2% -6.8% -4.9% -7.1%
1998 -8.4% -9.1% -6.8% -9.4% -9.1% -9.8%
1999 -10.0% -10.8% -8.4% -11.2% -10.6% -11.6%
2000 -10.2% -11.0% -8.4% -11.6% -10.4% -11.6%
2001 -12.6% -13.5% -11.0% -13.4% -12.6% -13.0%
2002 -13.5% -14.6% -11.9% -13.8% -13.0% -13.0%
2003 -12.4% -13.4% -10.4% -13.0% -12.3% -12.4%
2004 -11.4% -12.5% -9.5% -12.1% -11.4% -12.0%
2005 -13.4% -14.8% -11.5% -13.9% -13.2% -13.7%
2006 -15.1% -16.7% -13.2% -15.2% -14.4% -15.1%
2007 -13.0% -14.8% -11.1% -13.4% -12.2% -13.0%
2008 -13.8% -15.8% -12.1% -14.1% -12.9% -14.5%
2009 -12.4% -14.6% -10.9% -12.9% -11.5% -13.7%
2010 -12.1% -14.4% -10.8% -12.4% -11.6% -13.5%
2011 -12.5% -14.9% -11.1% -12.9% -12.3% -14.3%
2012 -14.1% -16.8% -12.7% -14.3% -13.5% -15.5%
2013 -14.7% -17.7% -13.1% -15.3% -14.3% -16.7%
2014 -15.3% -18.2% -13.9% -15.8% -15.0% -17.1%
2015 -17.0% -20.2% -15.3% -17.5% -16.3% -19.0%
2016 -17.6% -21.4% -15.8% -17.8% -16.6% -20.2%
2017 -18.7% -22.4% -16.7% -19.3% -17.2% -20.7%
2018 -18.7% -22.9% -16.8% -19.5% -17.3% -21.4%

Notes: Figure shows regression-adjusted teacher weekly wage penalties of public school teachers (elementary, middle, and secondary) relative to other college graduates under alternative models. In all models, the dependent variable is (log) weekly wages. The original model includes 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. Each subsequent model builds from the original sample and regression specification. Estimated relative teacher weekly wage penalties reported in this paper are from the final model that incorporates “All changes.” Estimates are omitted for 1994 and 1995, as imputation flags for these two years are incomplete or not available.

Source: Authors’ analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data

View the underlying data on epi.org.