PlainTeacher

School district · Iowa · LEAID 1911820

Fort Dodge Comm School District

Fort Dodge Comm School District sits in the lowest third of Iowa districts on estimated teacher pay at $66,046 (above only 67% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Fort Dodge Comm School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$66,046
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$15,367
Per-pupil spending
3,527
Students enrolled
67th
Pct. in IA
$66,046

Fort Dodge Comm School District sits in the lowest third of Iowa districts on estimated teacher pay at $66,046 (above only 67% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $66,046, below the national average of $70,245, serving 3,527 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Fort Dodge Comm School District sits in the lowest third of Iowa districts on estimated teacher pay at $66,046 (above only 67% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 67th percentile for Iowa
  • 51st percentile nationally
  • 34% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Iowa ranks #30 of 49 on the salary estimate and #29 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Fort Dodge Comm School District ranks #101 of 303 Iowa districts by estimated teacher salary and #196 of 303 by per-pupil spending. Linn-Mar Comm School District pay #1 at $82,552 is not Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District spending #1 at $59,531 per pupil
  • +0.9% 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 Iowa median

Among 327 Iowa districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Fort Dodge Comm School District's instructional payroll puts 18.1% into special education , 5.6 points above the state median of 12.6%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Iowa peer.

Program Fort Dodge IA median Gap
Regular program 64.9% 68.8% -3.8 pp
Special education 18.1% 12.6% +5.6 pp
Vocational programs 3.2% 4.7% -1.5 pp
Other programs 13.7% 13.9% -0.1 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 327 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 1911820 · FY2023.

LEAID 1911820 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Fort Dodge F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +4% vs state RANK-ST-MID P67 in state RANK-NAT-MID P51 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-MID 3,527 students INSTR-LOW 34% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Dallas FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $66,046 estimated average teacher salary · P67 in Iowa · P51 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Dallas ($94est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Fort Dodge

Salary neighbourhood · Fort Dodge

Fort Dodge 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 Fort Dodge

Fort Dodge Comm School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$66,046 Top 49% higher than 51% 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. This district $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

Fort Dodge in Iowa's lower-third pay band

Same 303 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Fort Dodge Comm School District ranks #101 of 303 Iowa districts by estimated teacher salary and #196 of 303 by per-pupil spending. Linn-Mar Comm School District pay #1 at $82,552 is not Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District spending #1 at $59,531 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Fort Dodge Comm School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District leads spending at $59,531 per pupil; Linn-Mar Comm School District leads pay.

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

What stands out about Fort Dodge Comm School District

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +0.9% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Iowa's statewide +9.0% by 8.1 points, a growth rate faster than 11% of the 324 Iowa districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$66,045.522

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Iowa price level
88.8 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$74,402

+13% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Iowa 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 Iowa 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 Fort Dodge Comm School District

What the Numbers Say About Fort Dodge Comm School District

Fort Dodge Comm School District is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Iowa, serving 3,527 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $15,367. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $66,046, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 1911820 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Iowa statewide average of $63,660, teacher pay in Fort Dodge Comm School District runs roughly in line with the state benchmark, a 3.7% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (6.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Iowa, it pays more than 67% of them. Iowa itself ranks #30 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Fort Dodge Comm School District reports $54.2M in total expenditure against $66.9M 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 $10.1M, special-education teacher pay is $2.8M.

How does Fort Dodge Comm School District compare?

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

Fort Dodge Comm School District $66,046
Des Moines Independent Comm School District $69,203
Iowa avg $63,660
National avg $70,245

Fort Dodge Comm School District pays -4.6% less than Des Moines Independent Comm School District · per-pupil $15,367 vs $18,580

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 Iowa districts

On pay, Fort Dodge Comm School District sits closest to Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Carroll Comm 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.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District
  2. Jesup Comm School District
  3. Washington Comm School District
  4. Davis County Comm School District
  5. Clinton Comm School District
  6. Rock Valley Comm School District
  7. Burlington Comm School District
  8. Muscatine Comm School District
  9. Atlantic Comm School District
  10. West Lyon Comm School District
  11. North Fayette Valley Comm School District
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Carroll Comm School District
  2. Davis County Comm School District
  3. Algona Comm School District
  4. Lewis Central Comm School District
  5. Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District
  6. Webster City Comm School District
  7. Red Oak Comm School District
  8. Union Comm School District
  9. Allamakee Comm School District
  10. Shenandoah Comm School District
  11. Monticello Comm School District

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts with similar lower pay

Two out-of-state peer sets for Fort Dodge Comm School District: closest on enrollment (3,527 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($66,046 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

$66.9M
Total Revenue
$54.2M
Total Expenditure
$18.5M
Instruction Salaries
34% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$10.1M
Regular Program
$2.8M
Special Education
$0.5M
Vocational
$2.1M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Fort Dodge Comm 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.

Iowa Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Iowa districts belongs to Linn-Mar Comm School District at $82,552. Fort Dodge Comm School District places 93 of 237 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. Louisiana and Oklahoma are the states closest to Iowa 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 Iowa districts →

Other Iowa Districts

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

Marion Independent School District
$60,374
2,229 students
North Polk Comm School District
$64,922
2,224 students
Ottumwa Comm School District
$76,723
4,959 students
Oskaloosa Comm School District
$59,223
2,081 students
Glenwood Comm School District
$63,248
2,071 students
Boone Comm School District
$68,919
1,976 students

This is a sample of 6 from 302 Iowa districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Dodge Comm School District
What is the average teacher salary in Fort Dodge Comm School District?

The average teacher salary in Fort Dodge Comm School District is $66,046 (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 Fort Dodge Comm School District teacher pay compare to the Iowa average?

Fort Dodge Comm School District pays 3.7% more than the Iowa state average of $63,660. The district's average is $66,046.

How does Fort Dodge Comm School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Fort Dodge Comm School District pays 6.0% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $66,046.

What is the per-pupil spending in Fort Dodge Comm School District?

Fort Dodge Comm School District spends approximately $15,367 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Fort Dodge Comm School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 34% of Fort Dodge Comm School District's total expenditure of $54.2M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Fort Dodge Comm 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

Cite, share, embed & editorial notes

Share this district data

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

X Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email
Embed this widget

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

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. Fort Dodge Comm School District'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.