Utah teacher salaries fall below national average
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Utah ranked 23rd in the nation for average teacher salary during the 2022-23 school year, according to a study by the National Education Association, the country's largest teacher's union.
Why it matters: Pay for teachers has not kept up with inflation, per the report, despite educators' outsized roles in helping shape the lives of students.
- Utah was also ranked second-to-last in per-pupil spending.
By numbers: Average salaries for Utah teachers rose from $59,671 to $63,481 — a 6.4% increase — between the 2021-22 and 2022-2023 school years.
- However, that's still below the living wage needed in the state for one child and one adult.
Zoom out: The average teacher salary in 2022-23 was $69,544 nationally, almost 9% above Utah's average salary.
Between the lines: When it comes to starting teacher pay, Utah is a lot more competitive than the rest of the nation.
- The state ranked 10th in the U.S. at $49,555.
Context: The Republican-dominated Utah Legislature last year passed a measure to give teachers $6,000 raises.
Yes, but: It was controversially tied to the creation of a school voucher program.
- The legislation drew scrutiny from Democrats, the Utah Education Association and children's advocates for directing funding away from the public education system.
What we're watching: Legislative auditors expressed concerns this week over legislation that aims to improve retention among Utah teachers.
- The law, slated to take effect July 1, creates a compensation program that allows top-performing teachers to receive bonuses.
- Auditors said it could be difficult to identify educators that merit higher compensation because evaluations are not uniform across schools.