Guide
Teacher Salary With a Master's Degree: How Much More?
Published
A master's degree raises the median starting salary by $4,361 across 397 districts, while the median premium at the top is $10,359 across 388 districts. The largest starting premium is $19,547, at Clark County School District in Nevada.
Your district's salary schedule shows whether a master's degree raises your pay through a higher salary lane or a fixed supplement. Check how the district places your degree and whether the schedule has separate starting and maximum salaries.
Key Takeaways
- The median starting premium is $4,361 across 397 districts with both salary lanes.
- The median premium at the top of the schedule is $10,359 across 388 districts.
- Some districts pay a fixed master's supplement instead of using a separate salary lane.
Largest master’s starting premiums
The Short Answer: How Much More Does a Master's Add?
Across districts that publish both salary lanes, a master's degree adds a median $4,361 to starting pay and a median $10,359 at the top of the schedule.
The starting premium reaches $5,000 or more in 166 of the 397 districts with both starting figures. In 9 districts, the two degrees have the same starting salary.
The top-of-schedule premium is $10,000 or more in 203 of the 388 districts with both maximum salaries. These figures compare the master's lane with the bachelor's lane within each district.
How Much Does a Master's Add at the Start?
The median starting premium is $4,361 across 397 districts that publish both starting salaries. You can compare the two starting figures on a district's schedule to see the exact difference where you plan to work.
In 166 districts, the master's starting salary is at least $5,000 higher. In 9 districts, both degrees start at the same salary, so a master's does not raise starting pay in those schedules.
Your starting salary by location also reflects the district's base pay. For a broader state-level comparison, see teacher starting salary by state.
How Does the Premium Change at the Top of the Schedule?
The median premium rises to $10,359 at the top of the salary schedule, based on 388 districts with both maximum salaries.
That is higher than the median starting premium of $4,361. In these district comparisons, master's lanes run higher at the maximum, so the pay gap tends to grow over a career.
A district's schedule shows how the salary steps and degree lanes fit together. Compare the master's and bachelor's maximum salaries, along with their starting figures, to see the difference across the full schedule.
Where Are Starting Premiums Highest and Lowest?
Clark County School District in Nevada has the largest starting premium at $19,547. Eight districts in the table below have a $0 premium.
The highest starting premium is $19,547 in Clark County. The smallest premium is $0 in the districts shown, where the bachelor's and master's starting salaries are equal.
| State | District | Bachelor's start | Master's start | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | Clark County School District | $57,471 | $77,018 | $19,547 |
| Washington | Tacoma Public Schools | $72,212 | $86,435 | $14,223 |
| Washington | Kent School District | $70,541 | $83,995 | $13,454 |
| Vermont | Burlington School District | $58,471 | $71,049 | $12,578 |
| Illinois | Indian Prairie School District 204 | $58,039 | $70,430 | $12,391 |
| Nebraska | Grand Island Public Schools | $42,532.88 | $54,801.98 | $12,269.10 |
| Vermont | Colchester School District | $55,703 | $67,958 | $12,255 |
| Washington | Vancouver Public Schools | $59,403 | $71,221 | $11,818 |
| Minnesota | Osseo Area Schools | $54,666 | $66,356 | $11,690 |
| Illinois | Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 | $57,246 | $68,305 | $11,059 |
| Arkansas | Cabot School District | $50,000 | $50,000 | $0 |
| Arkansas | Conway Public Schools | $50,000 | $50,000 | $0 |
| Michigan | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $47,600 | $47,600 | $0 |
| New Mexico | Las Cruces Public Schools | $59,972 | $59,972 | $0 |
| New Mexico | Gadsden Independent School District | $60,524 | $60,524 | $0 |
| New Mexico | Hobbs Municipal Schools | $70,000 | $70,000 | $0 |
| New Mexico | Alamogordo Public Schools | $55,550 | $55,550 | $0 |
| Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh Public Schools | $53,229 | $53,229 | $0 |
Which Districts Pay a Master's Stipend Instead of a Lane?
Some districts use a fixed master's supplement or annual stipend, with amounts and eligibility rules set by the district.
In Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Public Schools has no master's or doctorate lane. A master's adds $3,000 and a doctorate adds $4,126 on top of the lane amount, so those degree columns are blank.
In Virginia, Norfolk Public Schools pays annual stipends for advanced degrees rather than using degree lanes: $3,500 for a master's, $5,400 for a master's+30, and $7,800 for a doctoral degree.
In Florida, Pinellas County Schools adds $2,251 for a master's, $3,459 for a specialist degree, and $4,646 for a doctorate. For hires after 7/1/11, the degree must be in the certification area.
Pasco County Schools in Florida lists supplements on its 196-day schedule: $800 for a bachelor's+18, $2,700 for a master's, $3,400 for a master's+18, $4,400 for an Ed Specialist, and $5,400 for a doctorate. Its master's starting salary is $51,000 plus the $2,700 supplement.
How Do Master's Premiums Vary by State?
The highest state median for starting pay is $10,022 in Washington, and the top-of-schedule median reaches $43,368 in Washington. New Mexico's $2 starting median is not a real degree premium: the state sets teacher pay by licensure level, not degree.
Each starting median below covers districts in that state that publish both starting figures. The top median uses the district count shown alongside it, which can differ from the starting count. Arizona has no top-of-schedule figure available.
| State | Districts with both starting figures | Median starting premium | Median premium at the top |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 9 | $4,361 | $10,571 (9 districts) |
| Alaska | 7 | $5,513 | $14,861 (7 districts) |
| Arizona | 3 | $3,750 | Not available (0 districts) |
| Arkansas | 10 | $2,486 | $7,602 (10 districts) |
| California | 5 | $1,000 | $0 (7 districts) |
| Colorado | 10 | $5,334 | $16,202 (9 districts) |
| Connecticut | 9 | $5,585 | $18,453 (9 districts) |
| Delaware | 10 | $7,411 | $19,482.50 (10 districts) |
| Florida | 7 | $3,000 | $3,081 (6 districts) |
| Georgia | 9 | $5,294.08 | $9,512 (9 districts) |
| Hawaii | 1 | $4,421 | $6,298 (1 districts) |
| Idaho | 5 | $2,755 | $6,625 (7 districts) |
| Illinois | 9 | $5,988 | $17,852 (9 districts) |
| Indiana | 7 | $1,054 | $7,388.50 (6 districts) |
| Iowa | 9 | $2,538 | $12,616.50 (8 districts) |
| Kansas | 11 | $3,964 | $16,155 (11 districts) |
| Kentucky | 10 | $4,002.50 | $6,388.50 (10 districts) |
| Louisiana | 9 | $1,500 | $1,500 (9 districts) |
| Maine | 8 | $3,484 | $3,959 (7 districts) |
| Maryland | 8 | $5,092 | $32,380.50 (8 districts) |
| Massachusetts | 8 | $4,448.50 | $7,211.50 (8 districts) |
| Michigan | 9 | $3,203 | $14,060 (9 districts) |
| Minnesota | 10 | $8,316.50 | $21,392.50 (10 districts) |
| Mississippi | 8 | $1,562.50 | $5,587.50 (8 districts) |
| Missouri | 9 | $3,420 | $26,220 (9 districts) |
| Montana | 7 | $6,248 | $17,191.96 (7 districts) |
| Nebraska | 10 | $7,243 | $19,916 (7 districts) |
| Nevada | 8 | $6,564.50 | $19,858 (8 districts) |
| New Hampshire | 10 | $4,433 | $8,455 (10 districts) |
| New Jersey | 7 | $4,121 | $4,121 (7 districts) |
| New Mexico | 9 | $2 (pay follows licensure level, not degree) | $12,105 (9 districts) |
| New York | 4 | $4,913.50 | $8,847.50 (4 districts) |
| North Carolina | 8 | $5,158.50 | $7,029.50 (8 districts) |
| North Dakota | 9 | $5,500 | $15,789 (9 districts) |
| Ohio | 8 | $4,176 | $12,616.50 (8 districts) |
| Oklahoma | 9 | $1,390 | $2,146 (9 districts) |
| Oregon | 9 | $6,457 | $12,080 (9 districts) |
| Pennsylvania | 8 | $3,733.50 | $9,945.50 (8 districts) |
| Rhode Island | 8 | $3,813.50 | $3,813.50 (8 districts) |
| South Carolina | 10 | $4,502 | $8,084 (10 districts) |
| South Dakota | 5 | $1,100 | $3,850 (4 districts) |
| Tennessee | 8 | $4,450.79 | $5,614.22 (8 districts) |
| Texas | 6 | $1,450 | $1,450 (6 districts) |
| Utah | 8 | $5,320.50 | $13,928.50 (6 districts) |
| Vermont | 7 | $6,556 | $18,036 (7 districts) |
| Virginia | 6 | $6,352 | $6,703 (6 districts) |
| Washington | 10 | $10,022 | $43,368 (10 districts) |
| West Virginia | 10 | $2,825.50 | $2,840 (10 districts) |
| Wisconsin | 3 | $4,199 | $14,489 (4 districts) |
| Wyoming | 10 | $4,800 | $15,950 (10 districts) |
Figures come from the official salary schedules linked on our state and district pages. Districts revise schedules, so confirm the school year and placement rules with the official source before you rely on a number.