School district · Tennessee · LEAID 4700660
Clay County
Clay County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Tennessee districts (1,097 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Clay County come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $55,190
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $14,629
- Per-pupil spending
- 1,097
- Students enrolled
- 35th
- Pct. in TN
Below benchmark
Clay County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Tennessee districts (1,097 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $55,190, below the national average of $70,245, serving 1,097 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Smaller enrollment scale: Clay County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Tennessee districts (1,097 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 35th percentile for Tennessee
- 26th percentile nationally
- 31% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- Tennessee ranks #38 of 49 on the salary estimate and #13 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Clay County ranks #91 of 139 Tennessee districts by estimated teacher salary and #22 of 139 by per-pupil spending. Achievement School District pay #1 at $82,057 is not Franklin SSD spending #1 at $24,604 per pupil
- +24.3% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)
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Instructional payroll mix vs Tennessee median
Among 141 Tennessee districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Clay County's instructional payroll puts 86.4% into regular program , 2.3 points above the state median of 84.1%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median Tennessee district.
| Program | Clay County | TN median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 86.4% | 84.1% | +2.3 pp |
| Special education | 8.8% | 10.0% | -1.2 pp |
| Vocational programs | 3.3% | 5.0% | -1.6 pp |
| Other programs | 1.4% | 0.4% | +1.0 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 141 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 4700660 · FY2023.
LEAID 4700660 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Clay County F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $55,190 estimated average teacher salary · P35 in Tennessee · P26 nationally · 31% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Jefferson ($50est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Clay County
Salary neighbourhood · Clay County
Clay County sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).
- Union · low pole $32,029
Union · low pole
$32,029 est. salary
- Jefferson · near
Jefferson · near
$55,140 est. salary
- Clay · this district
Clay · this district
$55,190 est. salary
- Greene · near
Greene · near
$55,602 est. salary
- Anderson · near
Anderson · near
$55,691 est. salary
- Achievement · top pay
Achievement · top pay
$82,057 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Clay County
Clay County's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$55,190 26th percentile higher than 26% of 10,684 US districts
Show national distribution
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
Clay County in Tennessee's lower-third pay band
Same 139 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Achievement School District
Achievement School District
$82,057 est. avg salary
- Franklin SSD
Franklin SSD
$74,294 est. avg salary
- Clay County
Clay County
$55,190 est. avg salary
What this shows Clay County ranks #91 of 139 Tennessee districts by estimated teacher salary and #22 of 139 by per-pupil spending. Achievement School District pay #1 at $82,057 is not Franklin SSD spending #1 at $24,604 per pupil
The same districts by per-pupil spending
Clay County is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Franklin SSD
Franklin SSD
$24,604 per pupil
- Achievement School District
Achievement School District
$14,678 per pupil
- Clay County
Clay County
$14,629 per pupil
What this shows Franklin SSD leads spending at $24,604 per pupil; Achievement School District leads pay.
What stands out about Clay County
- Estimated teacher pay here rose +24.3% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Tennessee's statewide +12.8% by 11.5 points, a growth rate faster than 96% of the 141 Tennessee districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests
- Nominal district estimate
- $55,190.159
- Tennessee price level
- 92.1 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $59,928
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
+9% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Clay County
What the Numbers Say About Clay County
Clay County is a small school district in Tennessee, serving 1,097 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $14,629. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $55,190, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 4700660 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Tennessee statewide average of $57,941, teacher pay in Clay County runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 4.7% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (21.4% differential). Among enrolling districts in Tennessee, it pays more than 35% of them. Tennessee itself ranks #38 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Clay County reports $16.0M in total expenditure against $17.8M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 31% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $3.8M, special-education teacher pay is $0.4M.
How does Clay County compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Tennessee average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Clay County pays -5.9% less than Memphis-Shelby County Schools · per-pupil $14,629 vs $16,050
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 Tennessee districts
On pay, Clay County sits closest to White County; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Greeneville. 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.
Similar estimated teacher pay
Similar per-pupil investment
Out-of-state districts near Clay County's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Clay County: closest on enrollment (1,097 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($55,190 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
Instructional Salary by Program
The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Clay 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 89% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 11% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
Tennessee Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized Tennessee districts belongs to Achievement School District at $82,057. Clay County places 89 of 137 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. Indiana and Idaho are the states closest to Tennessee 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 Tennessee districts →Other Tennessee Districts
Smaller-district sample from 138 Tennessee peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.
This is a sample of 6 from 138 Tennessee districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Clay County
What is the average teacher salary in Clay County?
The average teacher salary in Clay County is $55,190 (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 Clay County teacher pay compare to the Tennessee average?
Clay County pays 4.7% less than the Tennessee state average of $57,941. The district's average is $55,190.
How does Clay County teacher pay compare to the national average?
Clay County pays 21.4% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $55,190.
What is the per-pupil spending in Clay County?
Clay County spends approximately $14,629 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Clay County's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 31% of Clay County's total expenditure of $16.0M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Clay 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
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| Sources | Public official public datasets |