Modern News

The governor’s proposed budget requests that state workers have their salaries cut by 6 percent. Nevada state employee pay ranks 16th highest in the country according to the Statistical Abstract of the United States but how well are teacher’s paid in Nevada?

According to the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest teacher union, teacher pay in Nevada ranks 22nd overall. According to the NEA, the average teacher in Nevada earns $50,067.

The NEA rankings are an apples to oranges comparison; it does not adjust for cost of living differences, benefits, or teacher experience. Oklahoma, for example, is a very inexpensive state to live. This means salaries in Oklahoma can purchase more than equivalent salaries in many other states.

Benefits, like pension contributions, are also an important part of a teacher’s compensation. Some states are more generous than others.

Finally, teacher experience is very important to take into consideration. Teachers are paid based on the longevity of their service, not on the quality of their teaching ability. Senior teachers are paid more than junior teachers so states with less experienced teachers will see their average salary comparatively lower than states with more experienced teachers.

The John Locke Foundation recently released national rankings of teacher pay that were not only adjusted for costs of living, but included teacher pensions and teacher experience as well. The report reveals that while the cost of living is above average in Nevada, but pension plans for teachers are more generous than average and Nevada’s teachers have 2 years less experience than average.

The John Locke Foundation found when making an apples-to-apples comparison, Nevada’s teacher pay turns out to be 17th best in the country. Adjusted compensation for the average teacher in Nevada is $57,983.

Read the John Locke Foundation 2009 Annual Report on Teacher Pay.
See the Nevada Policy Research Institute’s Teacher Pay Chart.