New Jersey Ranks 8th in the Nation for Average Teacher Salary in 2023-24, Says NEA Report

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, a recent report from the National Education Association (NEA) has ranked New Jersey eighth in the nation for average teacher salary during the 2023-24 school year. According to the NEA’s Rankings and Estimates Report, the average salary for teachers in New Jersey was $82,877, a 2.2% increase from the previous year’s $81,102 and over $10,000 higher than the national average of $72,030.

In addition, New Jersey’s average starting teacher salary was the fourth highest in the country, coming in at $57,603, well above the national average of $46,526, according to the NEA Teacher Salary Benchmark Report.

NEA Reports Major Gains in Teacher Pay — But Inflation Still a Concern

The NEA noted that starting teacher salaries grew by 4.4% nationwide, the largest increase in 15 years. However, inflation continues to outpace salary growth. When adjusted for inflation, today’s teacher salaries are still 5% lower than they were a decade ago and 9% lower than the peak in 2009-10.

While recent union advocacy and legislative action have led to “long-overdue” pay increases, the NEA states that compensation still may not be sufficient to address teacher recruitment and retention challenges.

National Teacher Shortage Impacting New Jersey

The findings come amid a growing teacher shortage both in New Jersey and across the U.S. In response, Gov. Phil Murphy formed a state task force in 2023 to explore solutions. The task force revealed that teacher attrition significantly outpaced new graduates between the 2014-15 and 2017-18 school years.

To combat the shortage, New Jersey launched the Teach.Inspire.New Jersey initiative, a $1 million program aimed at attracting new educators. A new state law effective January 1 also eliminates certain testing requirements for new teachers to ease the entry process.

States with the Highest and Lowest Teacher Salaries in 2023-24

According to the NEA, the top 10 states for average teacher salary were:

1. California – $101,084

2. New York – $95,615

3. Massachusetts – $92,076

4. Washington – $91,720

5. District of Columbia – $86,663

6. Connecticut – $86,511

7. Maryland – $84,338

8. New Jersey – $82,877

9. Rhode Island – $82,189

10. Alaska – $78,256

Meanwhile, the 10 states with the lowest average teacher salaries included:

• Mississippi – $53,704

• Florida – $54,875

• Missouri – $55,132

• West Virginia – $55,516

• Louisiana – $55,911

• South Dakota – $56,328

• Montana – $57,556

• Kansas – $58,146

• North Carolina – $58,292

• Kentucky – $58,325

The NEA reports that more than 800 school districts nationwide offered starting salaries of $60,000 or more in 2023-24 — a 66% increase from the previous year. Still, many educators are forced to take on second or third jobs, contributing to early burnout and high turnover.

“These sorts of improvements are critical in the effort to attract and keep teachers,” the NEA report concluded.

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