How much was a public school teacher's average yearly salary?
A public school teacher's average yearly salary was $8,626 in 1970 and $74,495 in 2025: about 8.6 times as much.
Over the same years, prices in general (US inflation, measured by the consumer price index, CPI) rose about 8.3 times. That makes $8,626 in 1970 worth about $71,600 in 2025 money. So it roughly kept pace with inflation (within 10%).
The biggest change between two listed years came between 1980 and 1985, when it went up 48%, from $15,970 to $23,600.
Teacher salary: price by year
| Year | Amount | In 2025 dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | $8,626 | $71,600 |
| 1975 | $11,641 | $69,700 |
| 1980 | $15,970 | $62,400 |
| 1985 | $23,600 | $70,600 |
| 1990 | $31,367 | $77,300 |
| 1995 | $36,675 | $77,500 |
| 2000 | $41,807 | $78,200 |
| 2005 | $47,516 | $78,300 |
| 2010 | $55,370 | $81,700 |
| 2015 | $57,758 | $78,400 |
| 2020 | $64,172 | $79,800 |
| 2025 | $74,495 | $74,500 |
"In 2025 dollars" adjusts each amount for inflation with the CPI, so the years can be compared fairly. How this works.
Where the numbers come from
The average yearly salary of public school teachers from the National Center for Education Statistics (the latest year from the National Education Association). Each school year is shown under the year it ends (2025 means the 2024-25 year).
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (Digest of Education Statistics); latest year National Education Association: Table 211.50. Estimated average annual salary of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools: Selected school years, 1959-60 through 2021-22. View the source.
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