Idaho ranks 36th in average teacher salary nationwide, according to a new analysis from the National Education Association.

At the time of the study, Idaho teachers made $62,786 on average.

Education support professionals, often known as paraeducators, were ranked 48th, making on average $29,618 in fiscal year 2024-25.  The average starting teacher salary at that same time was $46,253, and 33rd in the nation.

The study estimates that the minimum living wage in Idaho is about $65,542. The analysis comes shortly after Idaho was ranked last in the nation for per-student spending.

“While educator pay has increased in recent years, it still has not kept pace with inflation over the past decade, leaving many educators worse off in real terms,” a press release from the union reads.

Nationwide, the average teacher salary grew about 3.5% from the year prior to $74,495. The study estimates that, on average, teacher salaries are 27% lower than similarly educated peers.

“If we want strong public schools, we must ensure educators are paid fairly and empowered in their work and their ability to collaborate with parents,” the NEA’s study reads. “Competitive wages are how we ensure that talented, passionate professionals don’t have to take on second jobs or are forced out of public-school classrooms, hallways, buses, and cafeterias entirely.”

NEA says teachers earn 24% more on average in states with collective bargaining. Idaho’s teachers union recently issued a vote of no confidence in Gov. Brad Little after he signed a bill restricting how school districts can accommodate a broad range of “union activities.”

While the study uses data from the 2024-25 fiscal year, EdNews has more recent data on Idaho teacher pay.

Idaho’s average teacher pay has increased 21.9% since 2021. Minimums have increased slightly more at 24.5%. The 2025-26 school year minimum pay is $50.252. The average pay for the same school year is $66,085.

EdNews Data Analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this story.