California educators earn the highest salaries in the country, but they are still struggling amid inflation and high housing costs, Axios reported, according to an article in EdSource.
Some states have seen record increases in teacher salaries. But on average and with adjustments for inflation, they make about 5% less than they did a decade ago.
During the 2022-23 academic year, California teachers made $95,160 — a 7.5% increase from the previous year. California teachers’ average salaries are also higher than the averages in New York and Massachusetts, which are also known to be above the average, according to Axios.
But to afford a mortgage in a median-priced home in San Diego, for example, more than $240,000 would need to be earned.
The San Diego Education Association has been advocating and negotiating for a salary bump. Increasing teachers’ pay, they say, will also help with classroom vacancies, according to Axios.
“Our starting salaries are not enough to attract and keep high-quality educators in our schools, especially when people can’t afford to live anywhere close to the schools they’re teaching in,” union President Kyle Weinberg told Axios.
EdSource
