NEA report: Indiana ranks 38th in nation for teacher pay

INDIANAPOLIS (INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE) — A new report finds Indiana ranks 38th in the nation for teacher pay despite recent efforts by lawmakers to boost teacher salaries — a trend the Indiana State Teachers Association attributes to inflation, compression of mid-career salaries and limited collective bargaining rights.

The National Education Association found the average teacher salary in Indiana hit $61,661 for the 2024-25 school year, a milestone for Hoosier educators.

But Hoosier teacher pay still trails neighboring states and the national average, which hit $74,495 last school year, the NEA report found.

Indiana ranks second-lowest among neighboring states like Illinois ($78,495), Michigan ($71,023), Ohio ($70,586) and Wisconsin ($67,794), surpassing only Kentucky ($60,594) in teacher pay.

The state ranks 34th in the nation for starting teacher pay with an average entry-level salary of $45,958, a decline from the previous year.

A look at the numbers

• National average starting teacher salary: $48,112.
• Indiana starting teacher salary: $45,958 (34th in the nation).
• National average teacher salary: $74,495.
• Hoosier average teacher sa...