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Florida rises two ranks in salaries for its teachers

 
Published Nov. 22, 2002|Updated Sept. 4, 2005

Public school teachers in California earned the most last year and those in South Dakota the least, the nation's largest teachers union reported Thursday.

Florida rose two spots in the national ranking.

Overall, increases in education revenues and teacher salaries lagged behind rates set last year, while school enrollments increased, according to the National Education Association. The group represents more than 2.7-million elementary and secondary teachers and other education professionals.

Revenues for education are expected to increase by 4.3 percent this year, the NEA said.

Teacher salaries grew more slowly than the economy, with an expected increase of 2.7 percent for the school year, the group said. At the same time, enrollment in public schools rose by nearly 500,000, with the largest increases in Nevada, Arizona and Florida.

"These new numbers show that despite the vital importance of education for our future, schools around the country are just barely holding their own," said Reg Weaver, the NEA's president.

The report said that the average salary of a public school teacher for the 2001-02 school year was $44,499, with 36 states paying less.

California teacher salaries averaged $53,870, followed by Connecticut and New York. Teachers in South Dakota were paid $31,295, with North Dakota and Mississippi rounding out the bottom three. Florida ranked 27th, up from 29th last year.

The report said 2,968,904 public school teachers teach more than 47.6-million students.

Teacher salaries

Average salaries of public school teachers by state, for 2001-02 and 2000-01, and the percentage change, as reported by the NEA.

State 2001-02 2000-01 %chng

California 53,870 52,480 2.6

Connecticut 53,551 52,693 1.6

New York 53,081 52,040 2

Michigan 52,037 50,694 2.6

New Jersey 51,186 50,177 2

Pennsylvania 50,599 49,528 2.2

Illinois 50,000 47,847 4.5

Rhode Island 49,758 48,474 2.6

Alaska 49,418 48,123 2.7

Massachusetts 49,054 47,789 2.6

Delaware 48,363 47,047 2.8

D.C. 47,049 48,704 -3.4

Maryland 46,200 45,963 0.5

Oregon 46,039 44,989 2.3

Nevada 44,738 44,386 0.8

Indiana 44,195 43,311 2

Georgia 44,073 42,216 4.4

Ohio 44,029 42,764 3

Washington 43,474 42,137 3.2

Minnesota 43,330 42,212 2.6

Hawaii 42,615 40,052 6.4

Wisconsin 42,232 42,122 0.3

N. Carolina 41,991 41,496 1.2

Virginia 41,262 40,197 2.6

Colorado 40,222 39,184 2.6

Arizona 39,973 37,167 7.5

Florida 39,275 38,230 2.7

Alabama 39,268 37,956 3.5

Vermont 39,240 38,253 2.6

Texas 39,232 38,361 2.3

S. Carolina 38,943 37,938 2.6

New Hampshire 38,911 38,301 1.6

Tennessee 38,554 37,431 3

Iowa 38,230 36,479 4.8

Missouri 37,904 36,715 3.2

Kentucky 37,847 36,589 3.4

Wyoming 37,841 34,678 9.1

Idaho 37,482 36,375 3

Utah 37,414 36,441 2.7

Maine 37,300 36,373 2.5

Arkansas 37,140 36,182 2.6

W. Virginia 36,751 35,888 2.4

Kansas 36,673 35,901 2.2

New Mexico 36,440 33,785 7.9

Nebraska 36,236 34,175 6

Oklahoma 34,744 34,499 0.7

Louisiana 34,505 33,615 2.6

Montana 34,379 33,249 3.4

Mississippi 32,800 31,954 2.6

N. Dakota 31,709 30,891 2.6

S. Dakota 31,295 30,265 3.4

Nation 44,499 43,339 2.7