SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) – School districts are rolling out salary schedules for next year and because of the teacher shortage in our state, districts are trying to make those salaries as competitive as possible.
Utah has 41 school districts. For this comparison, ABC4’s Education Correspondent Sarah Martin compared the starting or baseline salary for the 10 highest paying districts. Two have broken $50,000 for the first time, Park City and Canyons School District.
That starting salary only paints a portion of the picture; dollars stretch differently in different parts of the state. Financial analysts recommend paying no more than 30% of a person’s salary on rent or a mortgage every month. Before taxes, all starting teachers in these 10 districts could afford to pay over $1,000 per month in rent.
In searching for a job though, teachers also need to think about the support staff hired by their district. Will there be counselors and social workers available to students? What about health insurance costs for a family, vacation time, advancement opportunities and even classroom materials?
Currently, the average pay in Utah is still under the national average, but that number is steadily climbing as legislators prioritize education funding.
