Another reason to apply to TKY: Jefferson County excels in teacher salary study
There is good news for starting teachers in Louisville, KY. In a December 2014 study from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), Jefferson County Public Schools ranked among the top districts in teachers’ lifetime earnings and the average number of years it takes teachers to reach their maximum salary.
The purpose of the study was to measure not just how much teachers across the country are making at the beginning and end of their careers, but to assess total lifetime earnings, how many years it takes to reach maximum earnings and which districts offer the best bang for their buck. Looking at 2013–14 teacher pay schedules from 113 districts across the U.S., the NCTQ ranked districts based on teachers’ likely lifetime earnings and the number of years it takes a teacher to reach an annual salary of $75,000 (the average maximum salary across all of the districts studied).
When adjusted for cost of living, Jefferson County ranked number seven out of the districts studied. Not adjusted for cost of living, Jefferson County showed an average starting salary of $40,118, an average ending salary of $81,854 and average lifetime earnings of $2,038,695. The average number of years to attain a salary of $75,000 was 17 years, generally before a teacher turns 40.
What does this mean for aspiring teachers? When deciding on where to teach, don’t just look at starting salary: do some research to find out the average rate of salary increase for teachers in a given district over the course of their careers. The lower this number, the better your lifetime earnings potential.
According to Rowan Claypool, Founder and Director of Teach Kentucky, “These numbers confirm what we already knew: Jefferson County offers teachers an exceptional value and is a great starting point for new college graduates.” He went on to add: “the real difference is a young teacher can own their own home with a teacher’s income in Louisville while they rarely get that chance in other cities.”
View the study in its entirety here: http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Smart_Money.
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