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School district · Indiana · LEAID 1804770

Indianapolis Public Schools

Indianapolis Public Schools sits in the highest third of Indiana districts on estimated teacher pay at $73,478 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Indianapolis Public Schools come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$73,478
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$30,899
Per-pupil spending
22,027
Students enrolled
99th
Pct. in IN
$73,478

Indianapolis Public Schools sits in the highest third of Indiana districts on estimated teacher pay at $73,478 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $73,478, near the national average of $70,245, serving 22,027 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Upper-third pay in state: Indianapolis Public Schools sits in the highest third of Indiana districts on estimated teacher pay at $73,478 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 99th percentile for Indiana
  • 65th percentile nationally
  • 21% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Indiana ranks #42 of 49 on the salary estimate and #14 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Indianapolis Public Schools ranks #3 of 289 Indiana districts by estimated teacher salary and #2 of 289 by per-pupil spending. Gary Community School Corp pay #1 at $76,828 is not DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist spending #1 at $32,890 per pupil
  • +31.7% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Indiana median

Among 291 Indiana districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Indianapolis Public Schools's instructional payroll puts 19.0% into special education , 7.0 points above the state median of 12.0%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Indiana peer.

Program Indianapolis Public IN median Gap
Regular program 77.9% 83.5% -5.6 pp
Special education 19.0% 12.0% +7.0 pp
Vocational programs 2.6% 3.2% -0.6 pp
Other programs 0.5% 0.5% +0.0 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 291 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 1804770 · FY2023.

LEAID 1804770 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Indianapolis Public F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +40% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P99 in state RANK-NAT-MID P65 national PPE-HIGH $31K/pupil ENR-LARGE 22.0K students INSTR-LOW 21% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near MSD FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $73,478 estimated average teacher salary · P99 in Indiana · P65 nationally · 21% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: MSD ($1,657est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Indianapolis Public

Salary neighbourhood · Indianapolis Public

Indianapolis Public 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 Indianapolis Public

Indianapolis Public Schools's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$73,478 Top 35% higher than 65% 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%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Indianapolis Public Schools $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

Indianapolis Public in Indiana's upper-third pay band

Same 289 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Indianapolis Public Schools ranks #3 of 289 Indiana districts by estimated teacher salary and #2 of 289 by per-pupil spending. Gary Community School Corp pay #1 at $76,828 is not DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist spending #1 at $32,890 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Indianapolis Public Schools is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist leads spending at $32,890 per pupil; Gary Community School Corp leads pay.

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

What stands out about Indianapolis Public Schools

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +31.7% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Indiana's statewide +13.9% by 17.8 points, a growth rate faster than 93% of the 289 Indiana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 26,410 to 22,027 students (16.6% 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.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $30,899 is among the highest in the nation.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$73,477.964

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Indiana price level
92.1 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$79,783

+9% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Indiana 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 Indiana 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 Indianapolis Public Schools

What the Numbers Say About Indianapolis Public Schools

Indianapolis Public Schools is a mid-sized school district in Indiana, serving 22,027 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $30,899. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $73,478, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 1804770 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Indiana statewide average of $52,427, teacher pay in Indianapolis Public Schools runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 40.2% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (4.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in Indiana, it pays more than 99% of them. Indiana itself ranks #42 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Indianapolis Public Schools reports $680.6M in total expenditure against $704.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 21% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $86.5M, special-education teacher pay is $21.0M.

How does Indianapolis Public Schools compare?

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

Indianapolis Public Schools $73,478
Fort Wayne Community Schools $55,844
Indiana avg $52,427
National avg $70,245

Indianapolis Public Schools pays +31.6% more than Fort Wayne Community Schools · per-pupil $30,899 vs $18,966

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 Indiana districts

On pay, Indianapolis Public Schools sits closest to MSD Wayne Township; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is MSD Washington Township. 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. MSD Wayne Township
  2. Crown Point Community School Corp
  3. Hamilton Southeastern Schools
  4. Carmel Clay Schools
  5. Franklin Township Com Sch Corp
  6. MSD Lawrence Township
  7. Noblesville Schools
  8. Lake Central School Corporation
  9. Portage Township Schools
  10. Anderson Community School Corp
  11. Westfield-Washington Schools
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. MSD Washington Township
  2. Duneland School Corporation
  3. MSD Wayne Township
  4. MSD Warren Township
  5. South Bend Community School Corp
  6. Fort Wayne Community Schools
  7. Westfield-Washington Schools
  8. Lafayette School Corporation
  9. School City of Hammond
  10. Tippecanoe School Corp
  11. LaPorte Community School Corp

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Indianapolis Public Schools's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Indianapolis Public Schools: closest on enrollment (22,027 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($73,478 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

$704.4M
Total Revenue
$680.6M
Total Expenditure
$145.1M
Instruction Salaries
21% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$86.5M
Regular Program
$21.0M
Special Education
$2.9M
Vocational
$0.6M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Indianapolis Public Schools: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 76% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 24% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Indiana Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Indiana districts belongs to Gary Community School Corp at $76,828. Only third place separates it from the ceiling: among the 283 districts of comparable size, Indianapolis Public Schools is paid at the very top of the state, and the state average sits well below it. Tennessee and Idaho are the states closest to Indiana 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 Indiana districts →

Other Indiana Districts

Large-district sample from 288 Indiana peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Warsaw Community Schools
$47,717
6,734 students
MSD Decatur Township
$58,201
6,709 students
Valparaiso Community Schools
$59,129
6,382 students
Clark-Pleasant Community Sch Corp
$58,996
6,371 students
Goshen Community Schools
$50,184
6,286 students
LaPorte Community School Corp
$58,657
6,227 students

This is a sample of 6 from 288 Indiana districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Indianapolis Public Schools
What is the average teacher salary in Indianapolis Public Schools?

The average teacher salary in Indianapolis Public Schools is $73,478 (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 Indianapolis Public Schools teacher pay compare to the Indiana average?

Indianapolis Public Schools pays 40.2% more than the Indiana state average of $52,427. The district's average is $73,478.

How does Indianapolis Public Schools teacher pay compare to the national average?

Indianapolis Public Schools pays 4.6% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $73,478.

What is the per-pupil spending in Indianapolis Public Schools?

Indianapolis Public Schools spends approximately $30,899 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Indianapolis Public Schools's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 21% of Indianapolis Public Schools's total expenditure of $680.6M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Indianapolis Public Schools
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. Indianapolis Public Schools'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.