Q&A of the Day – Are Florida’s Teachers Underpaid?
Each day I feature a listener question sent by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
Social: @brianmuddradio
iHeartRadio: Use the Talkback feature – the microphone button on our station page in the iHeart app.
Today’s entry: While you always compliment teachers and the fact that Florida has an excellent track record of improvement the PAY is AWFUL! My poor daughter works two jobs in order to afford the basics. Where are the pay increases for teachers? I have never heard you say they should be better compensated. We are at the bottom of the barrel for pay.
Bottom Line: You are correct that the average compensation by Florida’s teachers is close to the bottom when compared to other states. This has long been a point of contention with many teachers, and it has been a point of emphasis by Governor DeSantis as he has led the push to increase minimum teacher pay by over 23% in addition to bonus opportunities as part of his “Teachers Bill of Rights”. Still, there’s no doubt that in comparison to the way teachers are compensated elsewhere, the average teacher is earning less.
The average compensation for Florida’s teachers was $56,440 as of the 2024-2025 school year in comparison to about $73,000 nationally. Only West Virginia’s teachers earn less on average. Where Florida has come up considerably in recent years is in the starting compensation for teachers which ranks 16th most recently.
Teacher compensation varies quite a bit locally compared to state averages. Here’s
- St. Lucie: $50,100
- Martin: $53,939
- Indian River: $58,400
- Palm Beach $60,400
So obviously geography within the state can have a big impact as well. Something that’s not commonly mentioned as part of this conversation, but is relevant, is the lack of a state income tax. The average state income tax is 5%. Florida’s teachers save $2,822 in state income taxes annually in comparison to the national averages (effectively raising the comparable salary to about $59,300). Still, even when adjusted for taxes, Florida’s teachers earn considerably less than the average teacher nationally.
In Governor DeSantis’s budget proposal, that’s currently under consideration in the state legislative session, an additional $200 million to provide raises for teachers for the 2026-2027 fiscal year that begins in July. That equates to a raise of $1,275, or 2.3% for the average teacher or a number that would still leave Florida’s teachers well behind the national average. And that takes us to the next aspect of today’s topic. How Florida’s teacher compensation compares with other full-time professions within the state.
The average current full-time salary in Florida is $49,261 per year. While Florida’s teachers are among the lowest compensated nationally, they earn on average, over $7,000, or about 15% more than the average other full-time employed professional in Florida. There’s also the benefit schedule which includes comprehensive health insurance and separate contributions to the Florida Retirement System totaling a minimum of $4,415 annually. A recent Bureau of Economic Analysis estimate placed the annual value for teacher benefits at approximately $28,000, or 45% of base salary, based on the average compensation levels for teachers. That’s a figure that’s also meaningfully higher than for the typical career Floridian in the private sector. I believe this is an important aspect of the equation that’s often excluded from the conversation.
One of the questions/issues that arises in these conversations is where the taxes come from that account for teacher compensation. The money, as the system is currently funded, is primarily derived from property taxes. Therefore, to exact significant increases that would place Florida on par with many other states would mean significantly higher property taxes. If affordability is a challenge on a teacher’s salary, it’s most certainly that much more of an issue for the average other professional earning far less and yet they’d be further compelled to have to pay for those increases.
Comparisons for teacher compensation are generally done from state-to-state. That may or may not be a fair or good comparison based on the state in question. For example, the average teacher compensation in California is well over $100k per year. That’s largely due to the teacher’s unions having a cozy relationship with the state government and effectively getting whatever increases and benefits they call for, and yet that skews the averages we’re comparing Florida to (and California is far from the only state where that takes place).
I’ve long thought the fairer comparison for compensation is within states, because after all, that’s where the money is coming from that pays for salaries in question. This isn’t to say that Florida’s teachers, which are clearly high performing given Florida’s education success, don’t potentially deserve far more money than they are earning. But the question is where would that money come from, and is it appropriate to compel those earning less than teachers to pay higher taxes to account for significantly higher compensation?
That’s the more complicated dynamic involved here. I don’t necessarily think that there are right or wrong answers to this. It all depends on one’s perspective, though having an analytical view of the dynamics involved is a key to having a fully considered opinion. This is why you’ve not heard me argue one way or another on this topic. It’s complicated and my heart goes out to all who do well with their work and struggle with affordability challenges. It’s a real issue across the country; it’s certainly a real issue within Florida.