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What does that look like?
It means schools are staffed with highly qualified and dedicated educational professionals who are committed to nurturing every child’s academic, social, and emotional growth. From teachers and paraprofessionals to bus drivers, maintenance workers, counselors, administrators, ESOL professionals, media specialists, and mental health experts, every role is essential.
When communities prioritize , students are empowered not only to achieve academically but to develop the skills and confidence necessary to succeed throughout their lives.
But when lawmakers don’t invest in an educator’s teaching environment, they aren’t investing in a child’s learning environment.
For years, lawmakers have touted investments in public education and in educators. Yet, the reality on the ground often tells a different story.
The fact is, for the third year in a row, Florida ranks 50th in average teacher salary, and too many education staff professionals continue to bear the burden of rising living costs and wages that don’t keep up with inflation. Additionally, while higher education salaries at public 4-year institutions rose slightly, they remained the same at public 2-year institutions, and large discrepancies in salaries persist between HBCUs and non-HBCUs.
We asked educators to share with us how it impacts them to live and work in a state where teachers are ranked #50 in average teacher salary.
Here are their stories.
One veteran educator shares their story about salary compression- and how a lack of investment year over year has changed the landscape of public education in communities across Florida. Click the image above to read more.
- Read More Educator Stories
- 4th Grade Educator: "It breaks my heart."
- Union Leader: “It is a constant strain."
- Share Your Story Today!
- Write to us and tell us how salaries impact your, your students and your community
What does the data say?
New data released just this week shows a lack of investment in our public schools in Florida:
- In 2024-25, the average teacher salary in Florida was $56,663, a 3.3% change from the previous year- but not enough to keep up with inflation or raise the state’s average teacher ranking.
- From 2014-15 to 2024-25, the average teacher salary in Florida fell 12.4% in inflation-adjusted dollars.
- For the third year in a row, Florida ranks #50 in the nation for average teacher salary out of all 50 states and D.C.
- Florida is the third-largest state with 2.86 million students in 24/25, but ranks 41st in estimated per-pupil spending
- While average starting teacher salary in Florida increased from $48,639 in 23/24 to $49,435 in 24/25, our national ranking fell from #17 to #19 showing wages aren’t keeping up with inflation.
- While the average K–12 ESP salary increased from $33,342 in 23/24 to $34,645 in 24/25, Florida’s living wage for a family of one adult and one child to have a modest but adequate standard of living is $63,853.
- While higher education salaries at a public 4-year institution rose slightly, they remained the same for public 2 year institutions- and there remain large discrepancies in the salaries of HBCUs versus non-HBCUs.
The Economic Policy Institute provides two measures to add context to salary averages:
- In Florida, teachers earn $0.78 cents for every dollar earned by professionals with similar education levels.
- A family of one adult and one child would need an annual salary of at least $63,853 to have a modest but adequate standard of living in Florida’s most affordable metro area.
- Report Links and Resources
- Teacher Salary Data
- Higher Education Pay Data
- Education Staff Professional Pay Data
- NEA Salary Webpage
- State Snapshot
- FEA Responds: "Florida Stuck at 50th in Teacher Pay for Third Year in a Row as State Leaders Continue Legacy of Failure"
- What do current budget proposals say about salary?
- Average Salary By District (map below)
