Teacher Demographics in the US, Enrolments & Pay Rates

How many teachers are there in the USA?

Teachers total 2.5% of the entire US workforce

• There are 4,007,908 teachers in the USA

• More than half of all teachers are elementary school teachers

• Just under a quarter of all teachers are high school teachers

A small percentage of schools cover kindergarten, all the way through to 12th grade – teachers at these schools make up 12%

US teachers by grade level

Grade

No. of teachers

%

K-12 combined schools

291,724

7.3%

Elementary school

2,006,810

50.1%

Middle school and junior high

641,485

16.0%

High school

992,386

24.8%

Other

75,503

1.9%

Total

4,007,908

100.0%

Teachers have a median annual salary of just over $61,000

• The median US income in 2021 was $69,717 – $8,717 more than the median salary for a teacher

• Teachers earn 23.5% less than comparable college graduates

• The median income of a person with a master’s degree is $81,848

• The median income of a teacher with a master’s degree is $70,279 – $11,569 less than the median income of a person with a master’s degree

• Teachers are only paid for the days they work – meaning that teachers are not paid for the extended summer vacations

• However, many teachers choose to take their 9 months of salary in 12 monthly payments

Item

% of teachers spending money on it

Incentives (gold stars, prizes. candy)

90%

Stationary

82%

Snacks for kids

73%

Books

73%

Games

55%

Items crucial for the curriculum

44%

Cleaning supplies

52%

Technology

24%

Filed trips

20%

Teacher shortage and recruitment statistics

Read our full report on teacher shortage and recruitment statistics here.Teacher attrition in the USA is twice as high as in countries with well-regarded education systems like Finland and SingaporeIt causes a distract $20,000 every time a teacher quitsTeachers of mathematics, science, special education, English language development, and foreign languages are more likely to leave either their school or teachingTurnover rates are 50% higher for teachers in Title I schools – schools that serve a high percentage of low-income students