School district · Washington · LEAID 5302820
Federal Way School District
Federal Way School District is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Washington districts (21,606 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Federal Way School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $96,509
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $22,859
- Per-pupil spending
- 21,606
- Students enrolled
- 76th
- Pct. in WA
Above benchmark
Federal Way School District is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Washington districts (21,606 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $96,509, above the national average of $70,245, serving 21,606 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Large enrollment scale: Federal Way School District is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Washington districts (21,606 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 76th percentile for Washington
- 89th percentile nationally
- 28% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- Washington ranks #6 of 49 on the salary estimate and #12 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Federal Way School District ranks #56 of 229 Washington districts by estimated teacher salary and #44 of 229 by per-pupil spending. Lopez School District pay #1 at $132,000 is not Oakville School District spending #1 at $35,103 per pupil
- +15.9% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)
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Instructional payroll mix vs Washington median
Among 289 Washington districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Federal Way School District's instructional payroll puts 72.3% into regular program , 5.1 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 | Federal Way | WA median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 72.3% | 77.4% | -5.1 pp |
| Special education | 12.0% | 9.4% | +2.6 pp |
| Vocational programs | 5.2% | 6.3% | -1.1 pp |
| Other programs | 10.4% | 6.9% | +3.6 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 289 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 5302820 · FY2023.
LEAID 5302820 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Federal Way F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $96,509 estimated average teacher salary · P76 in Washington · P89 nationally · 28% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Mead (+$1,358est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Federal Way
Salary neighbourhood · Federal Way
Federal Way 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).
- Spokane · low pole
Spokane · low pole
$85,897 est. salary
- Bellingham · near
Bellingham · near
$95,138 est. salary
- Federal
Federal · this district
$96,509 est. salary
- Mead · near
Mead · near
$97,866 est. salary
- North · near
North · near
$98,215 est. salary
- Everett · top pay
Everett · top pay
$123,009 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Federal Way
Federal Way School District's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$96,509 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
What stands out about Federal Way School District
- Estimated teacher pay here moved +15.9% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Washington's statewide +21.1% by 5.2 points, a growth rate faster than 37% of the 263 Washington districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
- Enrolment fell from 23,489 to 21,606 students (8.0% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.
Washington prices absorb part of this salary
- Nominal district estimate
- $96,508.692
- Washington price level
- 108.4 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $89,055
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
-8% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in Washington run above the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. Comparing it with a district in a cheaper state without this adjustment overstates its relative value.
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 Washington 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 Federal Way School District
What the Numbers Say About Federal Way School District
Federal Way School District is a mid-sized school district in Washington, serving 21,606 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $22,859. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $96,509, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 5302820 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Washington statewide average of $88,556, teacher pay in Federal Way School District runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 9.0% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (37.4% differential). Among enrolling districts in Washington, it pays more than 76% of them. Washington itself ranks #6 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Federal Way School District reports $493.9M in total expenditure against $448.0M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 28% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $82.6M, special-education teacher pay is $13.8M.
How does Federal Way School District compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Washington average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Federal Way School District pays -13.5% less than Seattle School District No. 1 · per-pupil $22,859 vs $27,288
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 Washington districts
On pay, Federal Way School District sits closest to Camas School District; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Mount Vernon School District. 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.
- Camas School District
- Mount Vernon School District
- Mead School District
- Bellingham School District
- Snoqualmie Valley School District
- University Place School District
- North Thurston Public Schools
- South Kitsap School District
- Central Valley School District
- North Kitsap School District
- Peninsula School District
Similar estimated teacher pay
Similar per-pupil investment
Out-of-state districts near Federal Way School District's enrollment scale
Two out-of-state peer sets for Federal Way School District: closest on enrollment (21,606 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($96,509 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 Federal Way School District: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 84% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 16% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
Washington Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized Washington districts belongs to Everett School District at $123,009. Federal Way School District places 54 of 191 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. Because Washington prices run above the national average, this salary is worth less than the same number elsewhere; New York and New Jersey are the states it can be compared with directly on BEA's price parity.
View all Washington districts →Other Washington Districts
Large-district sample from 228 Washington peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.
This is a sample of 6 from 228 Washington districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Federal Way School District
What is the average teacher salary in Federal Way School District?
The average teacher salary in Federal Way School District is $96,509 (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 Federal Way School District teacher pay compare to the Washington average?
Federal Way School District pays 9.0% more than the Washington state average of $88,556. The district's average is $96,509.
How does Federal Way School District teacher pay compare to the national average?
Federal Way School District pays 37.4% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $96,509.
What is the per-pupil spending in Federal Way School District?
Federal Way School District spends approximately $22,859 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Federal Way School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 28% of Federal Way School District's total expenditure of $493.9M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Federal Way School District
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 |