Putting Teacher Salaries in Perspective
Even prior to the QEO, teachers earned less than people in comparable
jobs.
- In 1990, salaries of educational professionals were only about 63%
of those for a group of occupations with similar educational requirements
(U.S. Office of Education Research and Improvement).
- Analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that, even if you
include benefits as a percent of total salary, teachers are under-compensated.
Private sector professional workers receive, on average, 26.8% of
their salary in benefits, while teachers receive 25.4% (1993-94).
- Wisconsin teachers earn less than state average incomes at every
level of education. Teachers with bachelor's degrees, for example,
earn just 83.4% of the average salary for Wisconsinites with bachelor's
degrees. Teachers with master's degrees earn 83.6% of the average
salary for Wisconsinites with master's degrees (U.S. Bureau of the
Census, 1990).
- In 1992, the median income in Wisconsin was 4.8% above the national
average; teacher salaries in Wisconsin were only 1.9% above the national
average.
Teacher salaries have not kept pace with inflation.
- In 1995, Wisconsin teachers had 90%-93% of the purchasing power
they did in 1970.
The QEO is worsening the gap between teacher salaries and other salaries
in Wisconsin.
- Under the QEO, Wisconsin teacher salaries are increasing at 2.1%,
while Wisconsin per-capita income grew at a rate of 4.6% in 1994-95.
Posted January 30, 1997