School district · Georgia · LEAID 1301110

Cherokee County

Cherokee County is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Georgia districts (41,891 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Cherokee County come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$69,636
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$15,206
Per-pupil spending
41,891
Students enrolled
92nd
Pct. in GA
$69,636

Cherokee County is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Georgia districts (41,891 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $69,636, near the national average of $70,245, serving 41,891 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Large enrollment scale: Cherokee County is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Georgia districts (41,891 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 92nd percentile for Georgia
  • 58th percentile nationally
  • 35% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Georgia ranks #35 of 49 on the salary estimate and #4 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Cherokee County ranks #15 of 179 Georgia districts by estimated teacher salary and #127 of 179 by per-pupil spending. Cobb County pay #1 at $81,518 is not Taylor County spending #1 at $38,272 per pupil
  • +23.6% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

Keep this district in your shortlist

Save it in this browser, then return when PlainTeacher adds a newer public-data release. No account or personal details required.

View saved

Instructional payroll mix vs Georgia median

Among 180 Georgia districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Cherokee County's instructional payroll puts 2.4% into vocational programs , 2.0 points below the state median of 4.4%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Cherokee County GA median Gap
Regular program 74.3% 73.6% +0.7 pp
Special education 17.3% 16.5% +0.8 pp
Vocational programs 2.4% 4.4% -2.0 pp
Other programs 6.1% 5.1% +1.0 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 180 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 1301110 · FY2023.

LEAID 1301110 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Cherokee County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +13% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P92 in state RANK-NAT-MID P58 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-LARGE 41.9K students INSTR-MID 35% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Walton FY-2023-HEAVY FY2023 book

FY2023: $69,636 estimated average teacher salary · P92 in Georgia · P58 nationally · 35% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Walton (+$132est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Cherokee County

Salary neighbourhood · Cherokee County

Cherokee County 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 Cherokee County

Cherokee County's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$69,636 Top 42% higher than 58% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $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. Cherokee County $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

Cherokee County in Georgia's upper-third pay band

Same 179 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Cherokee County ranks #15 of 179 Georgia districts by estimated teacher salary and #127 of 179 by per-pupil spending. Cobb County pay #1 at $81,518 is not Taylor County spending #1 at $38,272 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Cherokee County is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Taylor County leads spending at $38,272 per pupil; Cobb County leads pay.

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

What stands out about Cherokee County

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +23.6% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Georgia's statewide +19.4% by 4.2 points, a growth rate faster than 87% of the 180 Georgia districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$69,636.217

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Georgia price level
96.5 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$72,166

+4% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Cherokee County

What the Numbers Say About Cherokee County

Cherokee County is a mid-sized school district in Georgia, serving 41,891 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $15,206. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $69,636, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 1301110 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Georgia statewide average of $61,790, teacher pay in Cherokee County runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 12.7% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (0.9% differential). Among enrolling districts in Georgia, it pays more than 92% of them. Georgia itself ranks #35 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Cherokee County reports $637.0M in total expenditure against $678.7M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 35% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $153.8M, special-education teacher pay is $35.8M.

How does Cherokee County compare?

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

Cherokee County $69,636
Gwinnett County $70,765
Georgia avg $61,790
National avg $70,245

Cherokee County pays -1.6% less than Gwinnett County · per-pupil $15,206 vs $15,296

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 Georgia districts

On pay, Cherokee County sits closest to Walton County; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Douglas County. 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.

Out-of-state districts near Cherokee County's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Cherokee County: closest on enrollment (41,891 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($69,636 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

$678.7M
Total Revenue
$637.0M
Total Expenditure
$224.4M
Instruction Salaries
35% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$153.8M
Regular Program
$35.8M
Special Education
$4.9M
Vocational
$12.6M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Cherokee County: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 92% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 8% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Georgia Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Georgia districts belongs to Cobb County at $81,518. Cherokee County sits in the upper quarter of that field at 15 of 172, nearer the ceiling than the floor. Texas and Vermont are the states closest to Georgia 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 Georgia districts →

Other Georgia Districts

Large-district sample from 178 Georgia peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

This is a sample of 6 from 178 Georgia districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cherokee County
What is the average teacher salary in Cherokee County?

The average teacher salary in Cherokee County is $69,636 (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 Cherokee County teacher pay compare to the Georgia average?

Cherokee County pays 12.7% more than the Georgia state average of $61,790. The district's average is $69,636.

How does Cherokee County teacher pay compare to the national average?

Cherokee County pays 0.9% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $69,636.

What is the per-pupil spending in Cherokee County?

Cherokee County spends approximately $15,206 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Cherokee County's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 35% of Cherokee County's total expenditure of $637.0M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Cherokee County
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

Cite, share, embed & editorial notes

Share this district data

Download a sourced data card or share the canonical district profile.

Embed this widget

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