How Much Do Teacher Salaries Increase Each Year?

Across 235 district grids, the median average raise per step is $1,000; on schedules that award one credited step each year, that is the median annual step increase. The examples range from $5,724 in Boston Public Schools in Massachusetts to $176 in Pulaski County Special School District in Arkansas.

On many schedules, you move up one step for each year of credited service. Your district’s rules determine how service counts, and step increases are separate from changes to the full salary schedule or movement to a higher education lane.

Key Takeaways

• The median average raise per step is $1,000 across 235 district grids.
• The number of steps to the top varies widely by district.
• Schedule-wide raises and lane changes affect pay separately from step increases.

Three ways scheduled pay can change

1. Step increaseMove along your current lane under the district’s service and placement rules.
2. Lane changeMove to a different education lane when you meet its requirements.
3. Schedule-wide raiseThe district changes the salary amounts on the grid.

What Is the Median Raise per Step?

The median average raise per step is $1,000 across the 235 district grids in the comparison. The median district reaches the top of its bachelor’s lane in 24 steps, with total pay growth of 44.9% from the first step to the lane maximum.

The calculation uses each district’s bachelor’s lane. It includes grids with numbered steps and no gaps; the average raise per step is the lane maximum minus the first-step salary, divided by the number of steps to the top, then rounded to the dollar.

That $1,000 figure is a median average across districts, not a set amount every teacher receives. The increase between individual steps can differ within the same pay grid.

How Do Teacher Salary Steps Work?

A salary step is a place on a district’s pay grid, and you advance when the district credits you with the required service. On many schedules, one year of credited service moves you up one step.

Your salary also depends on the lane you occupy. A lane reflects your education level on the grid, so moving to a higher lane changes which salary figures apply to you.

A district-wide raise changes the schedule’s pay amounts; a step increase moves you to another position on that schedule. The rules differ by district. Loudoun County Public Schools, Arlington Public Schools, and Norfolk Public Schools in Virginia say steps do not equal years.

How Long Does It Take to Reach the Top of the Pay Scale?

The median district takes 24 steps to reach the first step that pays the bachelor’s lane maximum. Because many schedules award one step per year of credited service, those steps can correspond to years of service, subject to the district’s rules.

The number of steps varies substantially. Fresno Unified in California reaches its bachelor’s lane maximum in 6 steps, while Tucson Unified School District in Arizona has 80 steps to its maximum.

Check the grid’s first step and the first step that pays the lane maximum to see the path for a specific district. The step count gives you the number of advances between those points.

Where Are Step Raises Largest and Smallest?

The largest average raise per step in the comparison is $5,724 at Boston Public Schools in Massachusetts. The smallest is $176 at Pulaski County Special School District in Arkansas. These averages describe the change across the full bachelor’s lane, so individual step increases may differ.

The districts with the largest average raises are:

The districts with the smallest average raises are:

What Do Step Raises Look Like in Each State's Largest District?

The largest qualifying district in each state has its own pay path, from the first step to the bachelor’s lane maximum. The table compares the first-step salary, pay after selected steps, the average raise per step, and the number of steps to the top.

Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah have no qualifying grid in this comparison. Check the state page for local schedule details.

What Other Changes Can Increase Teacher Pay?

A district-wide raise to the salary schedule or a move to a higher education lane can increase your pay apart from a step increase. Each change follows the district’s own schedule and rules.

A schedule-wide raise changes salary amounts across the grid. A lane change places you on a different part of the grid, while a step increase moves you along your current lane.

For a state-by-state look at starting pay, see the teacher starting salary by state guide. Check your district’s current schedule and advancement rules to see which changes apply to your salary.