What is an average teacher's salary in New Jersey?
LaSalePute said:
If anyone has any reliable information on this topic, I would appreciate it. I'm writing a book about teachers in New Jersey and I would like to know what the median range of salary is for a teacher. I'm looking for an average salary between Pre-K and High School.
Sure you are.
Anyone who is seriously writing a book endeavors to conduct some basic research. Even if you just call the library, they could point you to where that public information can be obtained.
jimmurphy said:
Not enough.
I see many folks do not want to help in this endeavor. That's okay though. It's just an idea, but I think I have some pretty good topics to talk about. Perhaps I should focus on Pre-K to middle school. Here's an idea for one chapter.
If property tax in New Jersey is one of the highest in the nation, and we are told that most of that money goes towards "improving our education", how it is "improving education" when most teachers cannot live in New Jersey on their low salaries? It's a work in progress, but you see my point right?
How can you improve an educational system when you can't keep the teachers in New Jersey classrooms? Maybe we should ask the BOE what they think about this improved system of education?
LaSalePute said:
I see many folks do not want to help in this endeavor. That's okay though. It's just an idea, but I think I have some pretty good topics to talk about. Perhaps I should focus on Pre-K to middle school. Here's an idea for one chapter.
If property tax in New Jersey is one of the highest in the nation, and we are told that most of that money goes towards "improving our education", how it is "improving education" when most teachers cannot live in New Jersey on their low salaries? It's a work in progress, but you see my point right?
How can you improve an educational system when you can't keep the teachers in New Jersey classrooms? Maybe we should ask the BOE what they think about this improved system of education?
I thought you were not upset about the high taxes…
I know teachers who used to live in New York and teach in New Jersey.
google is your friend
The NJ Department of Education should be able to provide you with that information more reliably than anyone posting on this message board. You can start with their website: https://www.nj.gov/education/
LaSalePute said:
If anyone has any reliable information on this topic, I would appreciate it. I'm writing a book about teachers in New Jersey and I would like to know what the median range of salary is for a teacher. I'm looking for an average salary between Pre-K and High School.
If you need a community message board to answer this question - you probably shouldn't be writing this book. What is your current vocation? How do you normally research your subjects?
jamie said:
If you need a community message board to answer this question - you probably shouldn't be writing this book. What is your current vocation? How do you normally research your subjects?
And who are the average teachers?
DaveSchmidt said:
jamie said:
If you need a community message board to answer this question - you probably shouldn't be writing this book. What is your current vocation? How do you normally research your subjects?
And who are the average teachers?
That's confidential and can only be determined from looking at their annual reviews. Some require improvement, most meet expectations and some exceed expectations.
jamie said:
If you need a community message board to answer this question - you probably shouldn't be writing this book. What is your current vocation? How do you normally research your subjects?
To be fair, this is an Extraordinary Message Board, populated by people who are Extraordinarily Knowledgeable About Everything.
I did research and found the average in all 50 states:
https://www.nj.com/news/2018/05/the_average_teacher_pay_in_nj_and_every_other_stat.html
Maybe I should write this book?
It's $76,390 in NJ - Ranked #5 in the country.
I wonder how the rankings would be comparing the average salaries reconciled with the state's or better yet, regional cost of living indexes. I'm not that interested in it though.
If anyone’s curiosity was piqued, this is from the National Education Association’s 2021 annual report, reflecting data compiled by its state affiliate.
(I assume the figures are K-12. Why an anonymous author-to-be would lump in pre-K is a mystery to me.)
ETA: Cross-posted with jamie.
I suppose the Educator Pay Gap metric is not so helpful in the aggregate. I would expect that it varies by the demographics of each school district with wealthy districts faring better than poor districts.
LaSalePute said:
jimmurphy said:
Not enough.
I see many folks do not want to help in this endeavor. That's okay though. It's just an idea, but I think I have some pretty good topics to talk about. Perhaps I should focus on Pre-K to middle school. Here's an idea for one chapter.
If property tax in New Jersey is one of the highest in the nation, and we are told that most of that money goes towards "improving our education", how it is "improving education" when most teachers cannot live in New Jersey on their low salaries? It's a work in progress, but you see my point right?
How can you improve an educational system when you can't keep the teachers in New Jersey classrooms? Maybe we should ask the BOE what they think about this improved system of education?
Seriously?
jamie said:
I did research and found the average in all 50 states:
https://www.nj.com/news/2018/05/the_average_teacher_pay_in_nj_and_every_other_stat.html
Maybe I should write this book?
It's $76,390 in NJ - Ranked #5 in the country.
The median pay provided by the State of New Jersey was $66K annually. However, this probably calculates a teacher's pay like most other 9 to 5 jobs and does not take into consideration the hours teachers put in outside the classroom and times when they have to buy supplies on their own to get around school politics and the fear of not getting tenure.
If the median salary of a teacher in New Jersey comes to $66K, doing simple math and putting a teacher's hours dedicated to their work at approximately 60 to 80 hours a week. The salary comes out to much less. Considering this salary is the gross and not the net, my calculation tells me that the median $66K reported is more like $40K.
Now when you add the hours I just mentioned above, I figure teachers are netting about $23,000 annually if they are lucky.
Throw in the cost of living in New Jersey, the current inflation problem we have in the country as a whole, the cost of an average home in New Jersey (approximately $490,000 to buy in a "not so wealthy" neighborhood) [Good luck getting a mortgage] - unless you are renting (with an average monthly rent of $2,300.00 and you see very quickly what a problem it is to be a teacher in New Jersey.
What is this state offering teachers to counterbalance this atrocity? Do they offer one of those dating sites where teachers can marry millionaires? I'm really not sure how a single teacher is supposed to survive in New Jersey, and I definitely do not see how spending roughly half of very hefty taxes comparatively to the national average gets us better education in New Jersey.
Of course, this could be the reason why your home is worth more if you are within a "good school district" (Translation: a school district in the few wealthy parts of New Jersey).
Maybe those school districts have more teachers married to significant others with high paying professions (doctors, lawyers, who knows?) that sort of helps to balance the issue or dull the pain?
This would make sense. Perhaps the teachers in urban towns are coupled with blue collar workers and thus they were the "undesirable school districts" (not my words, this is brought to you by the BOE and New Jersey Realtors) don't shoot the messenger okay.
I certainly do not think teachers in urban areas have such different methods of teaching than their suburban counterparts to claim their teaching methods make the school districts less desirable.
This is what I hope to focus on in my book. It's clear that the single teacher is not winning in New Jersey. The younger you are and the more single you are, it seems, you are closer to quitting your job and moving out the state. I happen to know many who recently took this step.
I still fail to see how half of our very expensive property tax, we are told, goes to improving education when New Jersey clearly cannot keep teachers in the classrooms.
Well, if your book end up getting teachers paid more, ends up making teaching a more attractive profession to great candidates who may not otherwise have considered it, and ends up helping teachers better afford the state's high cost of living, go for it.
LaSalePute said:
jamie said:
I did research and found the average in all 50 states:
https://www.nj.com/news/2018/05/the_average_teacher_pay_in_nj_and_every_other_stat.html
Maybe I should write this book?
It's $76,390 in NJ - Ranked #5 in the country.
The median pay provided by the State of New Jersey was $66K annually. However, this probably calculates a teacher's pay like most other 9 to 5 jobs and does not take into consideration the hours teachers put in outside the classroom and times when they have to buy supplies on their own to get around school politics and the fear of not getting tenure.
If the median salary of a teacher in New Jersey comes to $66K, doing simple math and putting a teacher's hours dedicated to their work at approximately 60 to 80 hours a week. The salary comes out to much less. Considering this salary is the gross and not the net, my calculation tells me that the median $66K reported is more like $40K.
Now when you add the hours I just mentioned above, I figure teachers are netting about $23,000 annually if they are lucky.
Throw in the cost of living in New Jersey, the current inflation problem we have in the country as a whole, the cost of an average home in New Jersey (approximately $490,000 to buy in a "not so wealthy" neighborhood) [Good luck getting a mortgage] - unless you are renting (with an average monthly rent of $2,300.00 and you see very quickly what a problem it is to be a teacher in New Jersey.
What is this state offering teachers to counterbalance this atrocity? Do they offer one of those dating sites where teachers can marry millionaires? I'm really not sure how a single teacher is supposed to survive in New Jersey, and I definitely do not see how spending roughly half of very hefty taxes comparatively to the national average gets us better education in New Jersey.
Of course, this could be the reason why your home is worth more if you are within a "good school district" (Translation: a school district in the few wealthy parts of New Jersey).
Maybe those school districts have more teachers married to significant others with high paying professions (doctors, lawyers, who knows?) that sort of helps to balance the issue or dull the pain?
This would make sense. Perhaps the teachers in urban towns are coupled with blue collar workers and thus they were the "undesirable school districts" (not my words, this is brought to you by the BOE and New Jersey Realtors) don't shoot the messenger okay.
I certainly do not think teachers in urban areas have such different methods of teaching than their suburban counterparts to claim their teaching methods make the school districts less desirable.
This is what I hope to focus on in my book. It's clear that the single teacher is not winning in New Jersey. The younger you are and the more single you are, it seems, you are closer to quitting your job and moving out the state. I happen to know many who recently took this step.
I still fail to see how half of our very expensive property tax, we are told, goes to improving education when New Jersey clearly cannot keep teachers in the classrooms.
what a train wreck of a post.
but I have to ask - where do you get your factoid of "New Jersey clearly cannot keep teachers in the classrooms."?
LaSalePute said:
If the median salary of a teacher in New Jersey comes to $66K, doing simple math and putting a teacher's hours dedicated to their work at approximately 60 to 80 hours a week. The salary comes out to much less. Considering this salary is the gross and not the net, my calculation tells me that the median $66K reported is more like $40K.
Now when you add the hours I just mentioned above, I figure teachers are netting about $23,000 annually if they are lucky.
Do you know what the word "salary" means? It means their total gross pay of record. It is not the same as rate per hour. It's not the same as net take-home. The number of hours you work is not a variable in calculating salary for an exempt employee.
By the way, I fully support WAY higher pay for public school teachers. But the number of hours they work is the wrong argument for that. Teachers are professionals with master's degrees. Counting beans on the hours you work is unprofessional and cringe-worthy. It's a professional job. You put in the hours that are needed, just like every other professional.
shoshannah said:
LaSalePute said:
If the median salary of a teacher in New Jersey comes to $66K, doing simple math and putting a teacher's hours dedicated to their work at approximately 60 to 80 hours a week. The salary comes out to much less. Considering this salary is the gross and not the net, my calculation tells me that the median $66K reported is more like $40K.
Now when you add the hours I just mentioned above, I figure teachers are netting about $23,000 annually if they are lucky.
Do you know what the word "salary" means? It means their total gross pay of record. It is not the same as rate per hour. It's not the same as net take-home. The number of hours you work is not a variable in calculating salary for an exempt employee.
By the way, I fully support WAY higher pay for public school teachers. But the number of hours they work is the wrong argument for that. Teachers are professionals with master's degrees. Counting beans on the hours you work is unprofessional and cringe-worthy. It's a professional job. You put in the hours that are needed, just like every other professional.
"simple" math is right.
drummerboy said:
what a train wreck of a post.
but I have to ask - where do you get your factoid of "New Jersey clearly cannot keep teachers in the classrooms."?
Not commenting on LSP’s post, but we have a significant issue with teacher retention.
SOMA teachers are paid significantly less than those in Millburn and West Orange, as was reported by the Village Green. It is a “contract year,” and my understanding is that the district has offered a 2% raise as part of negotiations, while the average Essex County increase has been 3.5%. (Of course inflation has been over 6% this year).
Due to support staff shortages, district teachers are being forced to cover lunch duty and are often going without paraprofessionals in the classroom to support special education.
SOMA substitute teachers are paid significantly less than surrounding districts, and as a result the district has difficulty attracting subs. This results in teachers losing their instructional prep periods and splitting coverage.
Covid and the difficulty of trying to implement hybrid instruction while covering for missing staff have resulted in retirements and migrations to other higher-paying districts.
The difficulty in recruiting quality new hires is real.
While NJ may not have difficulty keeping teachers in the classroom, SOMA does…
I never understood the thrill of trolling. Intentionally getting people mad at you. Even though it’s anonymous, where’s the fun in that?
jeffl said:
I never understood the thrill of trolling. Intentionally getting people mad at you. Even though it’s anonymous, where’s the fun in that?
I agree and I wonder why so many respond.
jamie said:
I did research and found the average in all 50 states:
https://www.nj.com/news/2018/05/the_average_teacher_pay_in_nj_and_every_other_stat.html
Maybe I should write this book?
It's $76,390 in NJ - Ranked #5 in the country.
I would definitely buy a book written by you.
STANV said:
I would definitely buy a book written by you.
I would definitely buy the book I inspired as well. It would no doubt be a good book.
STANV said:
I agree and I wonder why so many respond.
Did you ever wonder why so few respond to yours?
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If anyone has any reliable information on this topic, I would appreciate it. I'm writing a book about teachers in New Jersey and I would like to know what the median range of salary is for a teacher. I'm looking for an average salary between Pre-K and High School.