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School district · Alabama · LEAID 0100330

Bessemer City

Bessemer City is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Alabama districts (3,246 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Bessemer City come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$89,006
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$17,254
Per-pupil spending
3,246
Students enrolled
98th
Pct. in AL
$89,006

Bessemer City is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Alabama districts (3,246 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $89,006, above the national average of $70,245, serving 3,246 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Bessemer City is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Alabama districts (3,246 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 98th percentile for Alabama
  • 84th percentile nationally
  • 28% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Alabama ranks #21 of 49 on the salary estimate and #22 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Bessemer City ranks #3 of 138 Alabama districts by estimated teacher salary and #29 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Limestone County pay #1 at $118,952 is not Lowndes County spending #1 at $30,484 per pupil
  • +26.6% estimated-basis panel FY2020→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Alabama median

Among 138 Alabama districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Bessemer City's instructional payroll puts 91.5% into regular program , 10.3 points above the state median of 81.2%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median Alabama district.

Program Bessemer City AL median Gap
Regular program 91.5% 81.2% +10.3 pp
Special education 1.9% 10.2% -8.3 pp
Vocational programs 3.5% 5.5% -1.9 pp
Other programs 3.1% 3.1% +0.0 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 138 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0100330 · FY2023.

LEAID 0100330 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Bessemer City F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +30% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P98 in state RANK-NAT-MID P84 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-MID 3,246 students INSTR-LOW 28% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Daleville FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $89,006 estimated average teacher salary · P98 in Alabama · P84 nationally · 28% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Auburn ($8,230est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Bessemer City

Salary neighbourhood · Bessemer City

Bessemer City already leads most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Bessemer City

Bessemer City's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$89,006 Top 16% higher than 84% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). This entry sits in this band. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Bessemer City $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Bessemer City in Alabama's upper-third pay band

Same 138 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Bessemer City ranks #3 of 138 Alabama districts by estimated teacher salary and #29 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Limestone County pay #1 at $118,952 is not Lowndes County spending #1 at $30,484 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Bessemer City is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Lowndes County leads spending at $30,484 per pupil; Limestone County leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Bessemer City

  • This is a contracting district: 3,524 students in FY2020 down to 3,246 in FY2023, a 7.9% decline. Enrolment drives most state funding formulas, so the finance figures below describe a budget under downward pressure rather than a steady state.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$89,006.41

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Alabama price level
89.1 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$99,898

+12% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Alabama run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Alabama compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Bessemer City

What the Numbers Say About Bessemer City

Bessemer City is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Alabama, serving 3,246 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $17,254. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $89,006, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0100330 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Alabama statewide average of $68,221, teacher pay in Bessemer City runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 30.5% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (26.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in Alabama, it pays more than 98% of them. Alabama itself ranks #21 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Bessemer City reports $56.0M in total expenditure against $55.9M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 28% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $12.7M, special-education teacher pay is $0.3M.

How does Bessemer City compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Alabama average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Bessemer City $89,006
Mobile County $63,845
Alabama avg $68,221
National avg $70,245

Bessemer City pays +39.4% more than Mobile County · per-pupil $17,254 vs $14,922

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Alabama districts

On pay, Bessemer City sits closest to Daleville City; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Gulf Shores City. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Daleville City
  2. Fairfield City
  3. Conecuh County
  4. Florence City
  5. Auburn City
  6. Muscle Shoals City
  7. Troy City
  8. Decatur City
  9. Midfield City
  10. Vestavia Hills City
  11. Pickens County
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Gulf Shores City
  2. Homewood City
  3. Pelham City
  4. Opelika City
  5. Decatur City
  6. Tallassee City
  7. Tallapoosa County
  8. Conecuh County
  9. Jacksonville City
  10. Clarke County
  11. Choctaw County

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Bessemer City's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Bessemer City: closest on enrollment (3,246 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($89,006 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$55.9M
Total Revenue
$56.0M
Total Expenditure
$15.7M
Instruction Salaries
28% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$12.7M
Regular Program
$0.3M
Special Education
$0.5M
Vocational
$0.4M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Bessemer City: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 88% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 12% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Alabama Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Alabama districts belongs to Limestone County at $118,952. Only third place separates it from the ceiling: among the 137 districts of comparable size, Bessemer City is paid at the very top of the state, and the state average sits well below it. Iowa and Louisiana are the states closest to Alabama on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.

View all Alabama districts →

Other Alabama Districts

Smaller-district sample from 137 Alabama peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Scottsboro City
$59,480
2,416 students
Pickens County
$73,861
2,373 students
Pell City
$67,653
4,157 students
Hale County
$61,019
2,318 students
Winston County
$72,312
2,302 students
Oxford City
$65,038
4,203 students

This is a sample of 6 from 137 Alabama districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bessemer City
What is the average teacher salary in Bessemer City?

The average teacher salary in Bessemer City is $89,006 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Bessemer City teacher pay compare to the Alabama average?

Bessemer City pays 30.5% more than the Alabama state average of $68,221. The district's average is $89,006.

How does Bessemer City teacher pay compare to the national average?

Bessemer City pays 26.7% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $89,006.

What is the per-pupil spending in Bessemer City?

Bessemer City spends approximately $17,254 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Bessemer City's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 28% of Bessemer City's total expenditure of $56.0M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Bessemer City
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Bessemer City's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.