CLAIM: When the Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took office, Florida ranked 26th in the nation for teacher pay. Today the state ranks 9th in teacher pay.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Florida most recently ranked 48th in the nation in average public school teacher pay, according to the National Education Association, which compiles the data annually. It was ranked 47th when DeSantis took office. The state estimates it will rank 9th in the nation for starting salaries in the 2022-2023 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
THE FACTS: The Florida Republican Party misled social media users this month, with posts on its verified Twitter and Facebook accounts falsely claiming the state is among the best in the nation for teacher pay.
“When Governor DeSantis took office Florida ranked 26th in the nation for teacher pay, today we are 9th,” the party wrote on Sept. 7. “Every year he fights to ensure Florida teachers get the support and funding they need.”
However, national salary data contradicts those numbers. The National Center for Education Statistics and several other online sources for such data get their salary information from the NEA, the nation’s largest teacher’s union, which gets most of its data from state education departments.
NEA data shows that in the 2018-2019 school year, when DeSantis entered office, Florida ranked 47th in the nation for average public school teacher pay, giving teachers an average annual salary of $48,314. It ranked 48th in the 2020-2021 school year, giving teachers an average of $51,009. The state is estimated to continue to rank 48th for the 2021-2022 school year, according to Staci Maiers, an NEA spokesperson.
By contrast, the state that ranked 9th in the nation for average teacher pay in the 2020-2021 school year was Maryland, paying teachers an average of $74,006 per year.
The governor’s press office in a news release in March touted the 9th-in-the-nation ranking, but referred to starting salary, rather than average teacher salary. The release announced $800 million in new funding to “raise minimum teacher pay and increase veteran teacher salaries in Florida.”
“In 2020, the average starting salary for a teacher in Florida was $40,000 (26th in the nation), and with today’s funding, it will now be at least $47,000 (9th in the nation),” the release said.
Those numbers also aren’t an exact match for the NEA’s data, which show that in the 2019-2020 school year, Florida ranked 29th in the nation for average public school teacher starting salary, according to Maiers. Estimates for the 2020-2021 school year show Florida ranking 16th in the nation on this benchmark. And based on the data from that school year, which is the most recent data available, a $47,000 starting salary would place Florida at 11th in the nation, not 9th.
Cassandra Palelis, press secretary for the Florida Department of Education, explained that the press release from March featured previous data from the NEA, which was later updated. She said Florida’s estimated starting salary for the 2022-2023 school year is more than $48,000 per year, which would rank 9th in the nation according to NEA data.
The Florida Republican Party didn’t respond to emailed requests for comment.
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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.
FAQs
Click to access available viewer actions. The average starting salary in the Sunshine State for teachers in 2024 was $47,178, ranking 16th in the nation, and its overall salary was $53,098, ranking 50th in the nation.
What is the new teacher pay in Florida? ›
For the 2023–2024 school year, Florida's average starting teacher pay is over $48,000, and the average teacher salary exceeds $54,000. Before Governor DeSantis took office, there was no dedicated, recurring funding for teacher pay increases.
Will Florida teachers get a raise in 2024? ›
The 2024-25 General Appropriations Act does state an approximate $202 million increase in teacher salaries, on top of $1.05 billion to "to maintain prior year salary increases provided to classroom teachers and other instructional personnel pursuant to section 1011.62, Florida Statutes."
What is the lowest paid teacher state? ›
Montana has the lowest starting salary at $31,418, which is still below its livable wage of $47,000. Thirty-four U.S. states have starting teacher salaries below $40,000 a year.
What is the highest paying county in Florida for teachers? ›
Here are the best school districts to teach for in Florida — they all received an "A" grade — and their average teacher's salary:
- Collier County Public Schools, $59,689.
- Sarasota County Schools, $52,795.
- Alachua County Public Schools, $53,910.
- Leon County Schools, $52,144.
- Clay County School District, $43,437.
Highest paying cities for High School Teachers near Florida
- Boca Raton, FL. $63,100 per year.
- West Palm Beach, FL. $61,193 per year.
- Miami, FL. $58,014 per year. 194 salaries reported.
- Tampa, FL. $57,212 per year. 134 salaries reported.
- Homestead, FL. $56,684 per year.
- Show more nearby cities.
The national average public school teacher salary for 2022-23 was $69,544. State average teacher salaries ranged from those in California ($95, 160), New York ($92, 696), and Massachusetts ($92, 307) at the high end to West Virginia ($52, 870), Florida ($53, 098), South Dakota ($53, 153) at the low end.
Do New Florida teachers get a pension? ›
You will be eligible for a Pension Plan benefit (i.e. be vested) when you complete six years of service (if you were enrolled in the FRS prior to July 1, 2011) or eight years of service (if you were enrolled in the FRS on or after July 1, 2011).
Do teachers get bonuses in Florida? ›
Section 1012.72, Florida Statutes, Dale Hickam Excellent Teaching Program, identifies two separate categorical funding bonuses, a certification bonus and a mentoring bonus, to teachers who achieve National Board Certification.
What is the retirement age for teachers in Florida? ›
New teachers starting out in Florida can retire with their full benefits at age 65 and with 8 years of service, or at any age after accruing at least 33 years of service. Additionally, Florida allows early retirement once a teacher has 20 years of experience.
The salary range for a Master Teacher job is from $33,423 to $47,479 per year in Florida.
Does Florida need more teachers? ›
But the FEA said a shortage of more than 4,000 teachers is more than the population of teachers in 19 of Florida's smallest counties combined. And with that number of posted and advertised vacancies, potentially hundreds of thousands of Florida students don't have access to a full-time, certified teacher.
What state has the highest teacher shortage? ›
What state has the highest teacher shortage? Nevada. Their teacher to student ratio state averages 43.65 teachers to every 1,000 students, ranking 50th behind Utah, Arizona, and California. Nevada's teacher turnover rate spiked too, from 9% last year to 12% this year.
What kind of teacher makes the most money? ›
The 10 Highest Paying Jobs with a Teaching Degree
- School Principal. Average Salary: $129,000 per year. ...
- University or College Administrator. Average Salary: $82,000 per year. ...
- Professor. Average Salary: $122,700 per year. ...
- Private Tutor. ...
- Instructional Coordinator. ...
- Special Education Teacher. ...
- Librarian. ...
- High School Teacher.
Teacher Salary by Country 2024
- Luxembourg. According to an OECD report, Luxembourg (a European country) has the highest-paid teachers in the world. ...
- Switzerland. Switzerland ranks among the countries with the highest teacher salaries in the world. ...
- Germany.
- Teachers in Florida have one of the lowest average salaries of any state in the nation, according to the National Education Association. The report, which includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia, shows that only West Virginia, with an average teacher salary of $52,870, ranks lower than the Sunshine State.
Where does Florida rank in public school education? ›
Education in Florida, by the Numbers
The 2024 Best States rankings saw Florida top the list at No. 1 in the Education category. The state ranked No. 1 in the Higher Education subcategory and No.
Which state has best teacher pay? ›
The national average public school teacher salary for 2022-23 was $69,544. State average teacher salaries ranged from those in California ($95, 160), New York ($92, 696), and Massachusetts ($92, 307) at the high end to West Virginia ($52, 870), Florida ($53, 098), South Dakota ($53, 153) at the low end.
Where does America rank in teacher pay? ›
Download Table Data
| Country | Primary School Teacher Starting (USD) | Primary School Teacher Top Of Scale (USD) |
|---|
| Netherlands | $45,594 | $85,360 |
| Spain | $43,684 | $62,368 |
| Sweden | $42,727 | $56,757 |
| United States | $42,723 | $74,214 |
34 more rows