Kentucky Lantern

By McKenna Horsley

New reports highlighted by the Kentucky Education Association show that pay for public school teachers in the state fell in national rankings again this year.

The annual reports from the National Education Association, the national teachers union, examine teacher pay nationwide. This year, Kentucky ranks 42nd in the nation for average public school teacher pay at $58,325 despite a 3.6% increase from the previous year. Last year, the NEA ranked Kentucky as 41st in average teacher pay.

The national average teacher salary is $72,030, according to the 2025 data.

In a press release, KEA President Eddie Campbell said the organization “is deeply concerned about the General Assembly’s lack of investment in Kentucky educators’ pay.”

“Every school district across the commonwealth faces shortages of teachers, substitutes, bus drivers, custodians and office staff nearly every day of the school year,” Campbell said. “Properly investing in our teachers’ pay could help remedy this critical shortage and make Kentucky a competitive destination for educators working in our neighboring states. Until then, Kentucky will continue to struggle with staffing our public schools.”

The NEA data also put Kentucky at 48th in the nation for average beginning teacher pay. According to the report, average starting teacher pay is $40,161 after a 2.4% increase over last year’s average. Kentucky ranked 45th in average beginning teacher pay in 2024. Additionally, Kentucky classified workers — such as bus drivers, janitorial workers, administrative staff and cafeteria employees — were found to make an average salary of $28,088 per year, ranking 49th in the  country even though the average salary increased 3.7% over last year.

Salaries for public school employees has long been a political football in Kentucky. Throughout both of his terms, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has called for the Republican-controlled General Assembly to approve raises for public school employees, most recently during his State of the Commonwealth addressin January.

At the time, Beshear said that Kentucky voters’ rejection of a constitutional amendment to allow the state legislature to fund nonpublic schools last fall was “a mandate to prioritize public education.”

However, days later at the annual Kentucky Chamber Day Dinner, Republican House Speaker David Osborne, of Prospect, said the state legislature had provided a historic level of K-12 education funding.

“These are the same people that have not provided one single, substantive, creative, thoughtful, intentional policy change to improve education,” Osborne said. “Because let’s be clear, asking for more money is not big. Asking for more money is not bold. Asking for more money is just an ask — and it’s not working.”During the 2023 gubernatorial election, then Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameronreleased an education plan that called for raising the base rate pay of new Kentucky teachers to an annual salary of $41,500. Cameron, who ultimately lost to Beshear, is now campaigning for Kentucky’s open U.S. Senate seat.