Average weekly wages of public school teachers and other college graduates, 1979–2023
| Year | Public school teachers | Other college grads | Public school teachers | Other college grads | Public school teachers | Other college grads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | $1,184
|
$1,535
|
||||
| 1980 | $1,142 | $1,497 | ||||
| 1981 | $1,150 | $1,508 | ||||
| 1982 | $1,167 | $1,538 | ||||
| 1983 | $1,181 | $1,561 | ||||
| 1984 | $1,230 | $1,585 | ||||
| 1985 | $1,258 | $1,615 | ||||
| 1986 | $1,318 | $1,683 | ||||
| 1987 | $1,345 | $1,709 | ||||
| 1988 | $1,388 | $1,742 | ||||
| 1989 | $1,363 | $1,699 | ||||
| 1990 | $1,370 | $1,698 | ||||
| 1991 | $1,365 | $1,700 | ||||
| 1992 | $1,378 | $1,717 | ||||
| 1993 | $1,406
|
$1,728
|
$1,406 | $1,728 | ||
| 1994 | $1,432 | $1,739 | ||||
| 1995 | $1,458 | $1,749 | ||||
| 1996 | $1,484 | $1,760 | $1,484
|
$1,760
|
||
| 1997 | $1,475 | $1,796 | ||||
| 1998 | $1,481 | $1,850 | ||||
| 1999 | $1,481 | $1,918 | ||||
| 2000 | $1,488 | $1,947 | ||||
| 2001 | $1,478 | $1,974 | ||||
| 2002 | $1,490 | $2,001 | ||||
| 2003 | $1,506 | $1,999 | ||||
| 2004 | $1,504 | $2,000 | ||||
| 2005 | $1,457 | $1,992 | ||||
| 2006 | $1,447 | $2,002 | ||||
| 2007 | $1,458 | $1,983 | ||||
| 2008 | $1,440 | $1,984 | ||||
| 2009 | $1,503 | $2,044 | ||||
| 2010 | $1,525 | $2,043 | ||||
| 2011 | $1,468 | $1,992 | ||||
| 2012 | $1,448 | $2,012 | ||||
| 2013 | $1,443 | $2,023 | ||||
| 2014 | $1,419 | $2,011 | ||||
| 2015 | $1,450 | $2,080 | ||||
| 2016 | $1,457 | $2,132 | ||||
| 2017 | $1,453 | $2,109 | ||||
| 2018 | $1,453 | $2,151 | ||||
| 2019 | $1,488 | $2,178 | ||||
| 2020 | $1,509 | $2,260 | ||||
| 2021 | $1,518 | $2,261 | ||||
| 2022 | $1,384 | $2,257 | ||||
| 2023 | $1,408
|
$2,288
|
Notes: Figure shows average weekly wages (2023$) of public school teachers (elementary, middle, and secondary) and other college graduate (nonteacher) 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.
Source: Author’s analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data accessed via the EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.53 (EPI 2024a), https://microdata.epi.org.