Average weekly wages of public school teachers and other college graduates ($2024), 1979–2024
| Year | Public school teachers | Other college grads | Public school teachers | Other college grads | Public school teachers | Other college grads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | $1,219 | $1,580 | ||||
| 1980 | $1,175 | $1,541 | ||||
| 1981 | $1,184 | $1,552 | ||||
| 1982 | $1,201 | $1,584 | ||||
| 1983 | $1,216 | $1,607 | ||||
| 1984 | $1,266 | $1,631 | ||||
| 1985 | $1,295 | $1,662 | ||||
| 1986 | $1,356 | $1,733 | ||||
| 1987 | $1,384 | $1,759 | ||||
| 1988 | $1,428 | $1,793 | ||||
| 1989 | $1,403 | $1,749 | ||||
| 1990 | $1,411 | $1,748 | ||||
| 1991 | $1,405 | $1,750 | ||||
| 1992 | $1,418 | $1,767 | ||||
| 1993 | $1,448
|
$1,779
|
$1,448 | $1,779 | ||
| 1994 | $1,474 | $1,790 | ||||
| 1995 | $1,501 | $1,801 | ||||
| 1996 | $1,528 | $1,812 | $1,528
|
$1,812
|
||
| 1997 | $1,519 | $1,849 | ||||
| 1998 | $1,524 | $1,905 | ||||
| 1999 | $1,525 | $1,975 | ||||
| 2000 | $1,531 | $2,004 | ||||
| 2001 | $1,521 | $2,032 | ||||
| 2002 | $1,534 | $2,060 | ||||
| 2003 | $1,551 | $2,058 | ||||
| 2004 | $1,548 | $2,058 | ||||
| 2005 | $1,500 | $2,051 | ||||
| 2006 | $1,489 | $2,061 | ||||
| 2007 | $1,501 | $2,041 | ||||
| 2008 | $1,482 | $2,043 | ||||
| 2009 | $1,547 | $2,104 | ||||
| 2010 | $1,570 | $2,103 | ||||
| 2011 | $1,511 | $2,051 | ||||
| 2012 | $1,491 | $2,071 | ||||
| 2013 | $1,485 | $2,082 | ||||
| 2014 | $1,461 | $2,070 | ||||
| 2015 | $1,493 | $2,141 | ||||
| 2016 | $1,500 | $2,195 | ||||
| 2017 | $1,495 | $2,171 | ||||
| 2018 | $1,496 | $2,215 | ||||
| 2019 | $1,532 | $2,242 | ||||
| 2020 | $1,554 | $2,326 | ||||
| 2021 | $1,562 | $2,327 | ||||
| 2022 | $1,425 | $2,323 | ||||
| 2023 | $1,450 | $2,356 | ||||
| 2024 | $1,447
|
$2,361
|
Notes: Figure shows average weekly wages (2024$) 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 2025.7.10 (EPI 2025a), https://microdata.epi.org.