Teacher weekly wages have not grown since 1996: Average weekly wages of public school teachers and other college graduates, 1979–2018

Year Nonteacher college graduates Public school teachers Nonteacher college graduates Public school teachers Nonteacher college graduates Public school teachers
1979 $ 1,263.748 $974.96 
1980 $1,232.48 $939.85
1981 $1,241.33 $946.66
1982 $1,266.44 $960.59
1983 $1,285.23 $972.54
1984 $1,304.63 $1,012.21
1985 $1,329.54 $1,035.42
1986 $1,385.59 $1,084.64
1987 $1,406.99 $1,107.11
1988 $1,433.88 $1,142.29
1989 $1,398.94 $1,122.13
1990 $1,397.90 $1,128.09
1991 $1,399.38 $1,123.87
1992 $1,413.53 $1,134.33
1993 $1,422.82 $1,157.85 $1,422.82 $1,157.85
1994
1995
1996 $1,454.44 $1,215.95 $1,454.44 $1,215.95
1997 $1,482.60 $1,208.64
1998 $1,535.31 $1,214.43
1999 $1,589.52 $1,212.75
2000 $1,611.52 $1,219.70
2001 $1,635.07 $1,209.00
2002 $1,655.66 $1,219.02
2003 $1,660.18 $1,233.53
2004 $1,657.79 $1,239.62
2005 $1,654.34 $1,196.63
2006 $1,658.69 $1,185.72
2007 $1,647.70 $1,194.96
2008 $1,646.90 $1,185.63
2009 $1,695.80 $1,231.75
2010 $1,693.46 $1,250.39
2011 $1,651.98 $1,204.87
2012 $1,663.19 $1,192.54
2013 $1,672.33 $1,184.50
2014 $1,661.89 $1,169.29
2015 $1,720.42 $1,191.51
2016 $1,768.34 $1,195.88
2017 $1,739.26 $1,194.94
2018 $1,777.08 $1,195.26

Notes: Figure shows weekly wages (2018$) of public school teachers (elementary, middle, and secondary). Nonimputed data are incomplete or not available for 1994 and 1995; data points for these years are represented by dotted lines (see Appendix A for more detail).

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

View the underlying data on epi.org.