PlainTeacher

School district · Massachusetts · LEAID 2502790

Boston

From the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2022): Boston pays an estimated average teacher salary of $140,808, alongside per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget figures.

$140,808
Est. avg teacher salary
$47,393
Per-pupil spending
46,169
Students enrolled
100th
Pct. in MA
$140,808

Boston (Massachusetts) reports an estimated average teacher salary of $140,808, meaningfully above the Massachusetts average and above the national average, from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 fiscal survey (FY2022). It serves 46,169 students.

  • 100th percentile for Massachusetts
  • 98th percentile nationally
  • 27% of spending reaches instructional salaries

Avg Teacher Salary

$140,808

Estimated from instructional expenditure / FTE

Per-Pupil Spending

$47,393

Total expenditure / enrollment

Student Enrollment

46,169 students

Salary vs State Average 100.0%

33.7% above Massachusetts average

Nationally, Boston's estimated average out-pays 98% of the 11,460 US school districts with reliable F-33 salary data, placing it in the top quartile of districts on this estimate. (A relative position on the F-33 figure, which runs above survey-reported salaries.)

Boston's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$140,808 Top 2% higher than 98% of 11,460 US districts

$30,000–$40,000: 66 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 375 US districts (3%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 1,529 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,648 US districts (23%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 2,442 US districts (21%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,413 US districts (12%). Below this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 1,023 US districts (9%). Below this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 736 US districts (6%). Below this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 486 US districts (4%). Below this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 301 US districts (3%). Below this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 183 US districts (2%). Below this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 122 US districts (1%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$160,000: 68 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 42 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 26 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Boston $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, FY2022 · FY2022

What stands out about Boston

  • It ranks in the top 5% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 98% of the 11,460 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $47,393 is among the highest in the nation.

What the Numbers Say About Boston

Boston is a mid-sized school district in Massachusetts, serving 46,169 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $47,393. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from instructional expenditure variable Z33 divided by teacher FTE, is $140,808, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2502790 references the FY2022 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Massachusetts statewide average of $105,323, teacher pay in Boston runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 33.7% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $85,759 (64.2% differential). It pays the most of any enrolling district in Massachusetts.

On the budget side, Boston reports $2188.1M in total expenditure against $1734.0M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 27% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $322.0M, special-education teacher pay is $140.1M.

How does Boston compare?

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

Boston $140,808
Springfield $89,259
Massachusetts avg $105,323
National avg $85,759

Boston pays +57.8% more than Springfield · per-pupil $47,393 vs $33,774

Estimated from NCES F-33 instructional salary expenditure (FY2022). Service entities excluded; estimates assume a 15:1 ratio.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Massachusetts districts

These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2022 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Similar estimated teacher pay

Salary-nearest districts to Boston, with enrollment kept within a comparable band.

Similar per-pupil investment

Spending-nearest districts to Boston, with salary and enrollment reliability checks applied.

Revenue & Expenditure

$1734.0M
Total Revenue
$2188.1M
Total Expenditure
$599.3M
Instruction Salaries
27% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$322.0M
Regular Program
$140.1M
Special Education
$5.0M
Vocational
$0.2M
Other Programs

Other Massachusetts Districts

Lawrence
$89,695
12,786 students
New Bedford
$91,262
12,504 students
Newton
$125,647
11,974 students
Fall River
$97,872
10,268 students
Quincy
$98,107
9,404 students
Framingham
$98,621
8,824 students

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average teacher salary in Boston?

Boston's average teacher salary is $140,808, per NCES CCD FY2022 data -- total instructional salary expenditure divided by the district's own reported teacher headcount.

How does Boston teacher pay compare to the Massachusetts average?

Boston pays 33.7% more than the Massachusetts state average of $105,323. The district's average is $140,808.

How does Boston teacher pay compare to the national average?

Boston pays 64.2% above the national average of $85,759. The district average is $140,808.

What is the per-pupil spending in Boston?

Per-pupil spending in Boston runs approximately $47,393 a year (NCES FY2022), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

How many students are enrolled in Boston?

Boston has 46,169 students enrolled according to NCES CCD FY2022 data.

What percentage of Boston's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 27% of Boston's total expenditure of $2188.1M (NCES FY2022).

Where does this teacher salary data come from?

This data is sourced from two NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) surveys, Fiscal Year 2022: the F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey (instructional expenditure, variable Z33) and the Staff Universe Survey (reported teacher headcount). Salary figures divide the former by the latter, falling back to an enrollment-based estimate only when a district has no reported headcount. These are district-level aggregates, not individual salary records.

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 Editorial

Embed this widget

Copy this snippet to embed a live-linked card on your own site.

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. Boston's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2022 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 FY2022.