Florida Teacher Salaries Fall to Nearly the Lowest in the US

Teachers in Florida have almost the lowest average salaries of any state in the country, according to a new report.

The National Education Association's (NEA) 2024 report on educator pay in all 50 states and the District of Columbia shows the average teacher salary in Florida was $53,098 in the 2022-23 year.

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Only West Virginia ranked lower with an average teacher salary of $52,870, according to the report. In contrast, the average teacher salary in California is $95,160, the highest in the country.

Florida had ranked 48th when it came to average teacher salary last year, but dropped to 50th place in this year's report after salaries rose by only about 3 percent.

The average teacher salary in the state was far below the national average, which increased to $69,544. It was also below Florida's minimum living wage of $58,970—defined as the income needed for a family of one adult and one child to have a modest but adequate standard of living in the most affordable metro area—according to the NEA.

Florida's average starting teacher salary was $47,178, giving it a rank of 16th in the country. The average higher education faculty salary in Florida is $102,927, which is 15th in the country.

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The NEA said its findings show that chronic low pay plagues the teaching profession in general, with 77 percent of school districts paying teachers a starting salary below $50,000 and more than a third of full-time K-12 education support professionals earning less than $25,000 a year.

The findings come as Florida is dealing with a worsening teacher shortage. There were more than 7,500 advertised vacancies for teachers and educational support staff, the Florida Education Association (FEA) reported in January.

"Once again, despite a thriving economy, Florida is failing to prioritize the needs of students by not fairly compensating teachers and staff," FEA president Andrew Spar said in response to the NEA report.

"Time and time again, anti-education politicians say they support teachers—but the proof is undeniable," Spar said. "In the past five and a half years since Governor [Ron] DeSantis took office, Florida's public-school teachers have experienced a stagnant and declining average salary."

When contacted for comment, a DeSantis spokesperson directed Newsweek to Florida's Department of Education.

In a statement to Newsweek, department spokesperson Nathalia Medina said: "When Governor DeSantis signs Florida's budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the state will have invested over $4 billion in pay raises for teachers since the governor took office. This was accomplished despite constant obstruction from organizations like the FEA. As a result, Florida has increased our teacher starting salary from $40,000 to $48,000."

Medina called the NEA's report "bogus," saying it "does not consider a variety of factors, such as cost of living and state income tax."

She added: "We also have no way to verify that the union is accurately collecting and reporting teacher salaries and not artificially inflating the data with benefits and other forms of compensation."

Newsweek reported last year how growing numbers of teachers in Florida were quitting the profession, mostly citing low pay. Spar said vacancies were rising because as well as teachers leaving the profession before reaching retirement age, not enough people in Florida are choosing to become teachers.

The FEA said it has called on lawmakers in the state to increase funding by $2.5 billion a year for the next seven years to address inadequate pay, hire more mental health specialists and address the academic needs of students.

"It is unacceptable that Florida ranks so close to last in the nation for teacher pay and that the teacher shortage crisis is still not being addressed," Spar added.

"Every student in Florida deserves a world-class education. Every educator deserves the ability to create a better life for themselves and their loved ones," he said. "We need Florida's lawmakers to step up and take bold action and fully fund public education to ensure our students can learn and grow. Florida's students and educators need better."

Update 5/2/24, 7:40 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from Nathalia Medina.