PlainTeacher

About PlainTeacher

About PlainTeacher

How we estimate teacher salaries for 13,000+ US school districts using NCES CCD F-33 finance data, and what you should know about our methodology and limitations.

Our Mission

PlainTeacher exists because teachers, parents, researchers, and policymakers deserve transparent access to school district finance data without needing to navigate complex federal datasets. The National Center for Education Statistics collects detailed expenditure data from every public school district in the United States, but the raw F-33 files are dense, technical, and formatted for analysts rather than everyday users.

We believe that school district finance data belongs to the communities those districts serve. When a teacher is considering a move to a new district, when parents are evaluating schools, or when policymakers are comparing funding levels, they should be able to access this information in a clear, searchable format. PlainTeacher makes estimated teacher salary data, per-pupil spending, and district finance metrics available for 13138 districts at no cost, with full transparency about our methodology and limitations.

Our approach is deliberately honest about what the data can and cannot tell you. Teacher salaries cannot be directly extracted from F-33 data, only estimated. We explain exactly how we estimate them, what assumptions we make, and where those assumptions break down. We would rather show an honest estimate with clear caveats than a precise-looking number with hidden assumptions.

Data Source

All data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, a federal dataset collected annually by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education.

The F-33 survey collects detailed revenue and expenditure data from every public school district (LEA) in the United States. PlainTeacher uses the FY2022 release (covering the 2021-22 school year), published by NCES in June 2024.

View source data at NCES.ed.gov ↗

How We Calculate Estimated Salaries

The F-33 survey includes total dollar amounts for instructional salary expenditures (variable Z33) but does not include teacher headcount or FTE data. To estimate average teacher salary, PlainTeacher uses the following approach:

Estimated Avg Salary = Z33 / (Enrollment / 15)
Z33 = total instructional salaries, 15 = national avg student-teacher ratio

Where Z33 is the total instructional salary expenditure (including teachers, aides, and assistants) and 15 is a national average student-teacher ratio. This produces estimates that align reasonably well with state-reported average salaries for large, traditional school districts.

Important Limitations

  • These are estimates, not reported salaries. Individual teacher salary data is not available in this dataset.
  • Z33 includes instructional aides and assistants in addition to certified teachers, which may inflate estimates relative to teacher-only salaries.
  • The 15:1 ratio is a national average. Actual student-teacher ratios vary significantly by district, grade level, and state policy.
  • Specialized service districts (County Offices of Education, Intermediate Service Districts) may show unusually high estimates because they serve many more students than they directly enroll.
  • Data quality varies. Smaller or specialized districts may have incomplete, imputed, or zero values.

For accurate, individual-level salary data, consult your state's public employee salary database or teachers union contracts. Many states publish detailed salary schedules that account for experience, education level, and additional certifications. PlainTeacher's estimates provide a useful starting point for cross-district comparison, but individual teacher salaries within the same district can range from $35,000 for a first-year teacher to over $100,000 for a veteran with an advanced degree.

We encourage users to treat PlainTeacher data as a compass, not a GPS. It tells you the general direction, which districts spend more on instruction, how your area compares to the state average, and where the funding comes from, but cannot predict your specific salary in a specific district. For that level of precision, review the district's published salary schedule and collective bargaining agreement.

Coverage

  • 13138 school districts across all 50 states and the District of Columbia
  • Only districts classified as government entities (excluding most charter-only agencies and non-government LEAs)
  • Minimum enrollment of 25 students to exclude non-operational entities
  • FY2022 data (2021-22 school year)

Last Updated

Database built from FY2022 NCES data. Last updated: March 29, 2026.

Data Currency

PlainTeacher currently displays data from the FY2022 NCES CCD F-33 release, covering the 2021-22 school year. NCES publishes updated F-33 data annually, typically 18-24 months after the fiscal year ends. We update PlainTeacher within 30 days of each new release. The F-33 survey has been conducted annually since fiscal year 1995, providing one of the longest continuous records of school district finance in the world.

Like all federal education datasets, there is an inherent time lag between the school year, data collection, quality assurance, and public release. The FY2022 data reflects spending during the 2021-22 school year, which means current salary levels may differ. Districts that have recently negotiated new contracts, received additional state funding, or experienced enrollment changes may have substantially different figures today.

Editorial Team

PlainTeacher is published by PlainTeacher Editorial, a small independent team that builds public-data portals so that government records remain accessible to the people they describe. Our editorial work on PlainTeacher is led by editors with backgrounds in education-finance research, NCES dataset analysis, and public-records journalism, disciplines that combine to vet what the U.S. Department of Education and state education agencies publish (NCES Common Core of Data, F-33 finance survey, state-level salary schedules), surface their lag and scope limits, and translate technical school-finance terminology (per-pupil expenditure, instructional vs. support spending, FTE counts, district consolidation) into language a teacher, parent, or community member can actually use.

We do not employ practicing teachers or district administrators, and we do not produce employment recommendations or salary negotiation advice. Instead, our editorial standard is verification, citation, and transparency: every salary figure, district profile, and ranking we publish is traceable to a specific NCES or state-agency dataset, every caveat (FY data lag of 2-3 years, negotiated-contract changes, locale-cost differentials) is disclosed on the page where the figure appears, and every methodology decision is documented at /methodology. When the federal data has known shortcomings, for example, F-33 reports lag actual school-year spending by approximately two fiscal years, we say so where the number is shown, not buried in a footer.

Editorial questions, fact corrections, and source-attribution issues should go to hello@plainteacher.com. We are accountable for what we publish: every correction we make is reflected in the next data refresh, and our update schedule is documented above so readers can see how recent the underlying figures are. PlainTeacher does not accept paid placement, sponsored listings, or any incentive from schools, districts, edtech firms, or recruitment agencies that would compromise the neutrality of how teacher-compensation and district data appear on the site.

Editorial Independence

Content on PlainTeacher is compiled by our editorial team. Raw data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, F-33) and state education agencies is transformed into readable profiles by our continuous editorial pipeline, validated against the source before publication. The PlainTeacher editorial team, operating under Kiznis Studio, is responsible for editorial standards, methodology, and corrections.

We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from schools, districts, colleges, or any education entity. Our only revenue source is contextual display advertising served by Google AdSense, advertisers do not influence which entities we cover or how we present data, and they do not receive preferential placement.

Contact

Questions, corrections, or feedback? Email us at hello@plainteacher.com or use our contact form.

We welcome:

  • Questions about data sources or methodology
  • Reports of districts with unusually high or low estimates
  • Suggestions for additional data or features
  • Media and research inquiries

PlainTeacher is published by Kiznis Studio, a data intelligence company that builds free, public-interest data portals.

Disclaimer: This information is for general reference and educational purposes only. It should not be considered professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals for decisions affecting your health, finances, or legal matters.