Teacher salaries in Houston are outpacing the rest of the Lone Star State, as recent data indicates educators in the area are pocketing more cash than their counterparts across Texas. The Houston Chronicle reports that from the school years 2018-19 through 2022-23, teacher pay in the Houston area, aka Region 4, grew by 13%, slightly above the state's overall growth rate of 12%.
Notably, Devers ISD in Liberty County is reported to have hit the high mark within the region, offering an average teacher salary of $78,500—the third-highest increase over the last five years. Moreover, big Houston ISD has managed to significantly raise their teacher pay by about 19% in the same time frame, to roughly $65,000. However, not all schools in the area shared in this upward trend; both A+ Unlimited Potential and The Lawson Academy saw drops in average teacher pay, by 13% and 6%, respectively.
On the national stage, Houston positions itself among the top metro areas where educators can to truly make the most of their salary. A recent analysis by MoneyGeek, as reported by CW39, revealed that when the cost of living and taxes are factored in, Houston is one of the top five U.S. cities for teacher pay. This is in stark contrast to cities like Honolulu and Hilton Head, where after living costs, teachers take home less than $35,000 annually.
Despite the upward salary trends in Houston, the National Education Association (NEA) points out a worrying national trend. The NEA argues that after adjusting for inflation, there's been a decline of 6.4% over the past decade in the average national salary for public school teachers, which for the 2022-23 school year stands at $68,469. Becky Pringle, President of the NEA, contended, "Educators who dedicate their lives to students shouldn’t be struggling to support their own families," according to CW39.
As districts prepare to budget for the upcoming academic year, teacher pay is a pressing issue. Many school districts in the Houston area are actively looking to offer raises or incentives to attract and retain quality educators for the 2023-24 school year. Whether this will suffice to address the emerging national crisis of educator compensation remains to be seen.
