What do Michigan teachers earn?

December 6, 2008

Have you ever wondered how much we pay our teachers in Michigan?

In 2005, the average Michigan teacher salary of $56,973 was ranked 4^th in the nation. However, the actual salary varies greatly depending on the district, the education level, and the experience of the teacher. Benefits are also a big part of the equation.

Districts seldom share salary information with the public, and it is also difficult to find out the salaries of the administrators. A few years ago, I published a detailed analysis of the Huron Valley teachers’ contract, and some day I will spend the time  to revise this story based on their recently revised contract.

I have heard that the Huron Valley teachers are the lowest paid in Oakland County. On the other hand, Oakland County teachers are the highest paid in the state.

How are teachers paid relative to other professions? Here are some key points from national data from the Manhattan Institute of Policy Research:

• Compared with public school teachers, editors and reporters earn 24% less; architects, 11% less; psychologists, 9% less; chemists, 5% less; mechanical engineers, 6% less; and economists, 1% less.
• Compared with public school teachers, airplane pilots earn 186% more; physicians, 80% more; lawyers, 49% more; nuclear engineers, 17% more; actuaries, 9% more; and physicists, 3% more.
• Public school teachers are paid 61% more per hour than private school teachers, on average nationwide.

How Much Are Public School Teachers Paid?

by Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters of the Manhattan Institute of Policy Research/

Executive Summary

ducation policy discussions often assume that public school teachers are poorly paid. Typically absent in these discussions about teacher pay, however, is any reference to systematic data on how much public school teachers are actually paid, especially relative to other occupations. Because discussions about teacher pay rarely reference these data, the policy debate on education reform has proceeded without a clear understanding of these issues.

This report compiles information on the hourly pay of public school teachers nationally and in 66 metropolitan areas, as collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in its annual National Compensation Survey. We also compare the reported hourly income of public school teachers with that of workers in similar professions, as defined by the BLS. This report goes on to use the BLS data to analyze whether there is a relationship between higher relative pay for public school teachers and higher student achievement as measured by high school graduation rates.

Among the key findings of this report:

• According to the BLS, the average public school teacher in the United States earned $34.06 per hour in 2005.
• The average public school teacher was paid 36% more per hour than the average non-sales white-collar worker and 11% more than the average professional specialty and technical worker.
• Full-time public school teachers work on average 36.5 hours per week during weeks that they are working. By comparison, white-collar workers (excluding sales) work 39.4 hours, and professional specialty and technical workers work 39.0 hours per week. Private school teachers work 38.3 hours per week.
• Compared with public school teachers, editors and reporters earn 24% less; architects, 11% less; psychologists, 9% less; chemists, 5% less; mechanical engineers, 6% less; and economists, 1% less.
• Compared with public school teachers, airplane pilots earn 186% more; physicians, 80% more; lawyers, 49% more; nuclear engineers, 17% more; actuaries, 9% more; and physicists, 3% more.
• Public school teachers are paid 61% more per hour than private school teachers, on average nationwide.
• The Detroit metropolitan area has the highest average public school teacher pay among metropolitan areas for which data are available, at $47.28 per hour, followed by the San Francisco metropolitan area at $46.70 per hour, and the New York metropolitan area at $45.79 per hour.
• We find no evidence that average teacher pay relative to that of other white-collar or professional specialty workers is related to high school graduation rates in the metropolitan area.

Michigan Teacher Salary Information

(Note: The article below is published on the website called Michigan Teacher Salary Information, which is a resource for teachers and those considering a teaching career)  

Gathering information is the first step toward making an educated decision for your future.

• Will I be making a large enough salary as a teacher to support the lifestyle I wish to lead?
• What can I do if a Michigan teacher's salary is simply not high enough?

We recommend thoroughly examining the following salary information for Michigan's educators. We firmly believe Michigan's teacher salaries are highly competitive and are on the rise. Keep in mind that the following salaries are state salary rates without the addition of local supplements through district funding. Local supplements will boost these numbers anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000+ per year! At $56,973 for 2005, Michigan was ranked 4^th in the nation for average teacher salary. As you can see, local supplements will raise salaries significantly.

 ** Salaries are from the Michigan Department of Education Statistics - 2006

 Minimum of a Bachelor's degree

 Minimum of a Master's degree

Minimum of a Master's degree and 30 sem. hours

When viewing these numbers, keep in consideration such benefits as full dental, long-term disability and quality health insurance. We encourage you to explore what each school district has to offer you, take into consideration the area in which you wish to live and do the math to see if you will be satisfied. Good luck!

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