NEA Report Finds South Carolina Ranks 37th in Average Teacher Pay, 40th in Starting Teacher Pay

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                               

April 25, 2023                                                                                                                            

NEA Report Finds South Carolina Ranks 37^th in Average Teacher Pay, 40^th in Starting Teacher Pay

COLUMBIA – The National Education Association (NEA) released its annual Rankings & Estimates report. This report provides a wide array of statistics on public K-12 education and includes average educator salaries nationally and for each state.

According to this report, South Carolina ranks 37^th nationally for average teacher pay and 40^th for starting teacher pay.

The 2021-2022 school year by the numbers:

• $54,814: average South Carolina educator salary.
• $38,929: average South Carolina starting salary for educators.*
• $29,579: average K-12 Educational Support Professional (ESP) earnings
• $45,477: minimum amount needed to earn a living wage in South Carolina.

When adjusted for inflation, the average salary of classroom teachers nationally has declined by 6.4% over the past decade.

“South Carolina educators should not have to work multiple jobs simply to pay their bills,” said The South Carolina Education Association (The SCEA) President Sherry East. “Teacher turnover remains at a record high and pay is a driving force in teacher recruitment and retention. Any plan to reduce the teacher shortage crisis must begin with increasing starting salaries to a livable wage.”

According to the South Carolina Annual Educator Supply and Demand Report, South Carolina reported over 1,400 teacher vacancies.

“We have an educator recruitment and retention crisis in South Carolina,” East said. “Rather than spending time on censorship, vouchers, and other extreme partisan issues, policymakers should use their resources to ensure that educators have the support, respect, and compensation they deserve.”

Read the full report here.

*The SC legislature increased the minimum starting salary to $40,000 after this data was collected.

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The South Carolina Education Association (The SCEA) represents members employed in public schools throughout South Carolina and is an affiliate of the largest professional association of educators in the country. As the leading advocate for the schools South Carolina students deserve, The SCEA works to promote quality public education and to support public school employees.

The SCEA: Your Voice. Our Power. Their Future.