Teachers make less now than ever before

Since the Great Recession 15 years ago, teacher salaries across the United States have effectively been reduced. The average salary in every state except Minnesota is less today than it was in 2009, when inflation is accounted for (NCES). Worse, teacher pay has been steadily declining in many states for decades. Florida is the most egregious example: in the 1969-70 school year, the average annual salary for teachers in Florida was $8,412 — or almost $63,000 in 2021-22 dollars — but in 2021-22, Florida teachers made just $51,230. This represents a decrease of 18.4%. Average teacher pay over the same time period decreased in 18 states besides Florida. Meanwhile, some states — including all of Florida’s peers in terms of size, California, Texas, New York, and Illinois — increased their average teacher salaries during this period. (NCES) A shocking practical application of this downward trend is that Florida’s most experienced, veteran teachers are making less now as they approach retirement than they did as young teachers in the first years of their careers.