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School district · Alabama · LEAID 0101140

DeKalb County

DeKalb County sits in the lowest third of Alabama districts on estimated teacher pay at $64,870 (above only 26% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for DeKalb County come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$64,870
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$14,907
Per-pupil spending
8,717
Students enrolled
26th
Pct. in AL
$64,870

DeKalb County sits in the lowest third of Alabama districts on estimated teacher pay at $64,870 (above only 26% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $64,870, below the national average of $70,245, serving 8,717 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: DeKalb County sits in the lowest third of Alabama districts on estimated teacher pay at $64,870 (above only 26% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 26th percentile for Alabama
  • 48th percentile nationally
  • 31% 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.
  • DeKalb County ranks #102 of 138 Alabama districts by estimated teacher salary and #74 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Limestone County pay #1 at $118,952 is not Lowndes County spending #1 at $30,484 per pupil
  • +15.8% estimated-basis panel FY2019→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, DeKalb County's instructional payroll puts 8.0% into special education , 2.1 points below the state median of 10.2%. Special-education salary is a thinner slice of instructional pay here than at the median Alabama district, not a judgment of need, only of how F-33 codes the payroll.

Program DeKalb County AL median Gap
Regular program 82.9% 81.2% +1.8 pp
Special education 8.0% 10.2% -2.1 pp
Vocational programs 6.4% 5.5% +0.9 pp
Other programs 2.6% 3.1% -0.5 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 0101140 · FY2023.

LEAID 0101140 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

DeKalb County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -5% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P26 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P48 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-MID 8,717 students INSTR-LOW 31% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Madison FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $64,870 estimated average teacher salary · P26 in Alabama · P48 nationally · 31% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Madison (+$41est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for DeKalb County

Salary neighbourhood · DeKalb County

DeKalb County trails 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 DeKalb County

DeKalb County's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$64,870 48th percentile higher than 48% 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. DeKalb 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

DeKalb County in Alabama's lower-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 DeKalb County ranks #102 of 138 Alabama districts by estimated teacher salary and #74 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

DeKalb County 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

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$64,870.13

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
$72,808

+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 DeKalb County

What the Numbers Say About DeKalb County

DeKalb County is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Alabama, serving 8,717 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $14,907. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $64,870, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0101140 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Alabama statewide average of $68,221, teacher pay in DeKalb County runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 4.9% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (7.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in Alabama, it pays more than 26% 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, DeKalb County reports $129.9M in total expenditure against $134.9M 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 $29.0M, special-education teacher pay is $2.8M.

How does DeKalb County compare?

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

DeKalb County $64,870
Mobile County $63,845
Alabama avg $68,221
National avg $70,245

DeKalb County pays +1.6% more than Mobile County · per-pupil $14,907 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, DeKalb County sits closest to Madison City; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Russellville 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. Madison City
  2. Lawrence County
  3. Dale County
  4. Hartselle City
  5. Oxford City
  6. Elmore County
  7. Chambers County
  8. Morgan County
  9. Boaz City
  10. Selma City
  11. Trussville City
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Russellville City
  2. Jasper City
  3. Gadsden City
  4. Dothan City
  5. Monroe County
  6. Huntsville City
  7. Marshall County
  8. Alabaster City
  9. Geneva County
  10. Madison City
  11. Muscle Shoals City

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts with similar lower pay

Two out-of-state peer sets for DeKalb County: closest on enrollment (8,717 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($64,870 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

$134.9M
Total Revenue
$129.9M
Total Expenditure
$39.9M
Instruction Salaries
31% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$29.0M
Regular Program
$2.8M
Special Education
$2.3M
Vocational
$0.9M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in DeKalb 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 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. DeKalb County places 102 of 137 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. 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

The bar behind each salary shows its magnitude within this Alabama sample (including DeKalb County). Hover or focus a value for the exact comparison.

Lauderdale County
$68,948
8,080 students
Calhoun County
$59,253
8,050 students
Dothan City
$65,593
8,021 students
Auburn City
$80,776
9,492 students
Chilton County
$61,770
7,858 students
Blount County
$66,725
7,798 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 DeKalb County
What is the average teacher salary in DeKalb County?

The average teacher salary in DeKalb County is $64,870 (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 DeKalb County teacher pay compare to the Alabama average?

DeKalb County pays 4.9% less than the Alabama state average of $68,221. The district's average is $64,870.

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

DeKalb County pays 7.7% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $64,870.

What is the per-pupil spending in DeKalb County?

DeKalb County spends approximately $14,907 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 31% of DeKalb County's total expenditure of $129.9M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for DeKalb 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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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. DeKalb County'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.