The vast majority of Idaho school districts start teachers at the state minimum salary of $50,252.
But there are 19 traditional districts and 28 charter schools that pay more to starting teachers, according to data obtained by EdNews.
Minimum teacher pay ranges from $50,252 in 94 school districts to a high of $58,594 in Blaine County.
At the other end of the scale, maximum teacher pay ranges from $64,427 in Avery, one of the state’s smallest districts, to $102,972 in Blaine County.
This year, lawmakers and the Idaho Department of Education told public school leaders to factor recent statewide raises into the minimum salaries they pay teachers. In 2023, the Legislature gave districts and charters an additional $6,359 per teacher.
Many districts and charters hadn’t included those raises in their starting pay, which means much of this year’s 5% pay increase given by the legislature went to meeting the new minimum.
Two school districts and one charter are listed in state data as having starting salaries below the required minimum. Both Nezperce and Lapwai did not re-do their full salary schedules, instead teachers placed below the minimum automatically get $50,252, according to documents posted on the districts’ websites.
Compass Public Charter School’s minimum salary is listed as $49,934 in state data. Its salary schedule is not easily accessible on the school’s website.
Top 10 school districts by maximum teacher pay
The salaries listed below do not include stipends for additional credits and professional statuses that some districts do not include in their salary schedule. Some staff who are not in classroom teacher positions, like school counselors and instructional coaches, can also fall onto the certified staff salary schedule. Most districts have separate salary schedules for administrators and classified staff, like paraeducators, bus drivers and maintenance staff.
The average traditional school maximum salary is $76,022. The average maximum for charter schools is $75,988.
School District |
Minimum salary |
Maximum salary |
| 1. Blaine County | $58,594 | $102,972 |
| 2. Lapwai | $50,252 | $93,349 |
| 3. Lake Pend Oreille | $50,252 | $93,310 |
| 4. Boise | $50,288 | $92,687 |
| 5. McCall-Donnelly | $55,590 | $90,001 |
| 6. Lakeland | $50,384 | $89,636 |
| 7. Bonneville | $50,257 | $84,803 |
| 8. West Ada | $50,252 | $84,254 |
| 9. Lewiston | $50,252 | $84,145 |
| 10. Rockland | $50,252 | $83,944 |
Top 10 charter schools by maximum salary
Charter |
Minimum salary |
Maximum salary |
| 1. Kootenai Bridge Academy | $56,276 | $109,557 |
| 2. Elevate Academy Nampa | $60,627 | $90,978 |
| 3. Promise Academy | $62,747 | $90,935 |
| 4. Elevate Academy Inc | $60,627 | $90,678 |
| 5. Legacy Public Charter | $70,000 | $90,000 |
| 6. Elevate Academy East | $58,888 | $88,140 |
| 7. Elevate Academy North | $58,888 | $88,140 |
| 8. Liberty Charter | $65,000 | $85,000 |
| 9. Victory Charter | $65,000 | $85,000 |
| 10. Meridian Medical Arts | $50,252 | $84,254 |
EdNews data analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this story.
