Teacher salaries in Georgia differ widely depending on the district.
According to Bibb County Compensation Guidelines, a Bibb County, first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree earns $45,753 per year. That same teacher would earn $60,000 according to Dekalb County’s Effective Salary Schedule, which would be a difference of more than $14,000. Even when compared with smaller districts such as Clarke County, their first year teachers still make more money at $48,309.
The Georgia Department of Education says Bibb county has 21,146 students in 35 schools while Dekalb County has 91,638 students in 131 schools. Based on these numbers, Dekalb averages 95 more students per school than Bibb County. This put’s into perspective the size differential between the two counties.
Teacher pay in Georgia is typically based on education level, years of experience and district location. Each district sets its own salary schedule and may offer additional pay, known as supplements, to attract or retain staff. Districts with more funding or a higher cost of living often offer higher salaries to stay competitive.
Laura Bell, a former teacher in the Bibb County School District and current professor at Mercer University, talked about the role compensation plays with teachers leaving and choosing other workplaces.
“When you can go somewhere else and have less trouble for more pay, there’s no competition,” Bell said. “It’s not just the pay, it’s the long hours and always thinking about your students.”
With experience teaching in both public and private schools, Bell said she was surprised to learn that some private schools now offer salaries comparable to public schools.
“I had always thought that private schools paid less, and then I found out they were trying to stay on par with the public schools,” she said. “I said, then why am I putting up with this? If a child is acting up, and you do everything you can, what do you do?”
As school districts compete for qualified educators, the continued increasing gap in pay could make it harder for lower paying areas to hire and keep teachers.
Without a more uniform pay scale or increased state support, lower paying districts may face staffing shortages. Closing the salary gap could be key to making sure Georgia classrooms have the right educators in them.
