Report: Idaho’s starting teacher pay ranks No. 44 nationally

Gov. Brad Little’s push for a $40,000 minimum teacher salary raises an inevitable question: How does Idaho’s starting pay stack up nationally?

That’s not easy to answer, but according to the National Education Association, Idaho’s average starting salary ranked No. 44 in the nation in 2016-17.

Idaho’s starting salary averaged out at $33,743, the NEA said. Only Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia paid less.

Idaho was nearly 13 percent lower than the national average, $38,617.

Here’s how Idaho stacked up compared to its neighbors:

State Starting salary
Wyoming $45,207
Washington $40,426
Nevada $37,973
Utah $35,722
Oregon $35,534
Idaho $33,743
Montana $30,036

The NEA’s numbers are a bit dated. But Little’s office, the State Board of Education and the Idaho Education Association did not have more current figures.

To be sure, a lot has changed since 2016-17.

At the time, Idaho was in the second year of the rollout of the career ladder — a five-year plan to raise teacher salaries. The minimum salary was $33,400; this year’s minimum is $35,800.

If lawmakers approve the fifth year of the career ladder, which carries a $48 million price tag, the minimum salary would increase to $37,000.

Separately, Little has recommended putting an additional $11.2 million into teacher pay. This would boost the minimum salary to $40,000 — and fold in similar raises to other rungs at the bottom of the career ladder.

Coming Thursday: Idaho is in Year Four of the career ladder. How do teacher salaries stack up? An in-depth look.

 

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

Get EdNews in your inbox

Weekly round up every Friday