Teacher pay penalty hits new high

Over the last 18 years, EPI has closely tracked trends in teacher pay, revealing a picture of increasingly alarming trends. In 2021, the relative teacher wage penalty—how much less teachers are paid than other college-educated professionals—grew to a record high of 23.5%. The financial penalty that teachers face discourages college students from entering the teaching profession. It also makes it difficult for school districts to keep current teachers in the classroom. Read the report