School district · Rhode Island · LEAID 4400240
Cranston
Cranston is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Rhode Island districts (10,029 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Cranston come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $91,901
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $21,933
- Per-pupil spending
- 10,029
- Students enrolled
- 65th
- Pct. in RI
Near benchmark
Cranston is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Rhode Island districts (10,029 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $91,901, above the national average of $70,245, serving 10,029 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Large enrollment scale: Cranston is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Rhode Island districts (10,029 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 65th percentile for Rhode Island
- 86th percentile nationally
- 34% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- Rhode Island ranks #5 of 49 on the salary estimate and #45 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Cranston ranks #12 of 34 Rhode Island districts by estimated teacher salary and #27 of 34 by per-pupil spending. Narragansett pay #1 at $108,019 is not Little Compton spending #1 at $45,050 per pupil
- +15.3% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)
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Instructional payroll mix vs Rhode Island median
Among 36 Rhode Island districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Cranston's instructional payroll puts 73.7% into regular program , 3.7 points below the state median of 77.4%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.
| Program | Cranston | RI median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 73.7% | 77.4% | -3.7 pp |
| Special education | 18.4% | 16.7% | +1.7 pp |
| Vocational programs | 3.0% | 2.7% | +0.4 pp |
| Other programs | 4.8% | 1.9% | +3.0 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 36 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 4400240 · FY2023.
LEAID 4400240 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Cranston F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $91,901 estimated average teacher salary · P65 in Rhode Island · P86 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Central ($66est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Cranston
Salary neighbourhood · Cranston
Cranston 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).
- Foster · low pole
Foster · low pole
$76,927 est. salary
- Little · near
Little · near
$91,796 est. salary
- Central · near
Central · near
$91,834 est. salary
- Cranston
Cranston · this district
$91,901 est. salary
- Westerly · near
Westerly · near
$92,184 est. salary
- Narragansett · top pay
Narragansett · top pay
$108,019 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Cranston
Cranston's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$91,901 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Cranston in Rhode Island's upper-third pay band
Same 34 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Narragansett
Narragansett
$108,019 est. avg salary
- Cranston
Cranston
$91,901 est. avg salary
- Little Compton
Little Compton
$91,796 est. avg salary
What this shows Cranston ranks #12 of 34 Rhode Island districts by estimated teacher salary and #27 of 34 by per-pupil spending. Narragansett pay #1 at $108,019 is not Little Compton spending #1 at $45,050 per pupil
The same districts by per-pupil spending
Cranston is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Little Compton
Little Compton
$45,050 per pupil
- Narragansett
Narragansett
$32,057 per pupil
- Cranston
Cranston
$21,933 per pupil
What this shows Little Compton leads spending at $45,050 per pupil; Narragansett leads pay.
Rhode Island sits close to national prices
- Nominal district estimate
- $91,900.737
- Rhode Island price level
- 102.1 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $90,041
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
-2% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in Rhode Island sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.
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 Rhode Island 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 Cranston
What the Numbers Say About Cranston
Cranston is a mid-sized school district in Rhode Island, serving 10,029 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $21,933. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $91,901, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 4400240 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Rhode Island statewide average of $89,674, teacher pay in Cranston runs roughly in line with the state benchmark, a 2.5% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (30.8% differential). Among enrolling districts in Rhode Island, it pays more than 65% of them. Rhode Island itself ranks #5 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Cranston reports $220.0M in total expenditure against $218.9M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 34% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $54.0M, special-education teacher pay is $13.5M.
How does Cranston compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Rhode Island average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Cranston pays -1.2% less than Providence · per-pupil $21,933 vs $29,598
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 Rhode Island districts
On pay, Cranston sits closest to Central Falls; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Coventry. 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 Cranston's enrollment scale
Two out-of-state peer sets for Cranston: closest on enrollment (10,029 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($91,901 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 Cranston: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 97% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 3% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
Rhode Island Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized Rhode Island districts belongs to Narragansett at $108,019. Cranston places 12 of 31 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. On BEA's price parity Rhode Island sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Colorado and Virginia are its nearest price peers.
View all Rhode Island districts →Other Rhode Island Districts
Large-district sample from 33 Rhode Island peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.
This is a sample of 6 from 33 Rhode Island districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cranston
What is the average teacher salary in Cranston?
The average teacher salary in Cranston is $91,901 (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 Cranston teacher pay compare to the Rhode Island average?
Cranston pays 2.5% more than the Rhode Island state average of $89,674. The district's average is $91,901.
How does Cranston teacher pay compare to the national average?
Cranston pays 30.8% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $91,901.
What is the per-pupil spending in Cranston?
Cranston spends approximately $21,933 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Cranston's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 34% of Cranston's total expenditure of $220.0M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Cranston
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 |