Salaries & Benefits
Education news, analysis, and opinion about pay and benefits for school and district employees
See also: Performance Pay, Retirement & Pensions, Unions, Teaching Profession
Teacher Pay, Explained: Salary, Benefits, and Pensions
Learn how teachers are compensated, and the role that states and districts play in setting pay.
Teaching Profession
Data From 50 States: Teachers on Class Sizes, Improving Morale, and How Salaries Stack Up
Teachers across the states report that they make a significant amount beyond what they earn teaching.
Teaching Profession
Interactive
How Much Did Teacher Pay Change in 30 Years? Draw a Line With Your Best Estimate
Can you guess if teacher salaries have generally gone down, up, or stayed about the same?
Teaching Profession
Teacher Morale in 2026: Five Takeaways
See five highlights from EdWeek's annual, national survey of U.S. teachers.
Recruitment & Retention
District Leaders Want to Retain Talent. They Need to Look Beyond Just Compensation
There are steps K-12 leaders can take to keep teachers and principals in the leadership pipeline, administrators say.
Teaching Profession
What the Research Says
How Much Would It Cost States to Support Parental Leave for Teachers?
Two-thirds of states do not guarantee teachers parental leave, a new national study finds.
Teaching Profession
What We Know About Pre-K Teachers: Salaries, Support, and More
A new RAND report shows how public school pre-K teachers need additional support.
Teaching Profession
Should It Be Normal for Teachers to Have a Second Job? Educators Weigh In
Research has shown that most educators work multiple jobs. Teachers shared their reactions in an Education Week Facebook post.
Teaching Profession
'It's Rough Out Here': Why Most Teachers Work a Second Job (and What It Means)
Those with education-related second jobs are more likely to stay than those with non-related gigs.
Teaching Profession
States Are Experimenting With Teacher Pay Again—But the Focus Isn’t Just Test Scores
Renewed interest could spur another wave of experiments with teacher pay.
Recruitment & Retention
This District Is Betting on a $10K Signing Bonus for New Teachers. Is It Enough?
Teachers are being awarded bonuses of up to $12,000 to join a district that, like its surrounding community, is working to rebuild.
School & District Management
What's Fair Pay for School and District Leaders? (And What Do They Actually Make?)
Superintendents and principals want about a 20% raise, a new survey finds.
Teaching Profession
What Teachers Think They Should Make vs. What They're Actually Paid
Teachers think they deserve a 25% raise, a new survey finds.
Federal
The Push for a $60K Minimum Salary for Teachers Has Reached Congress—Again
Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Edward Markey, D-Mass., have reintroduced education bills that would increase minimum salaries for teachers and the minimum wage for support staff.
School & District Management
Women, People of Color Still Underrepresented in Superintendent Ranks
Superintendents are getting younger, earning slightly more, and working longer hours, yet their pay still lags behind inflation, AASA found.