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School district · Kentucky · LEAID 2103150

Knox County

Knox County sits in the lowest third of Kentucky districts on estimated teacher pay at $52,654 (above only 22% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Knox County come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$52,654
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$16,943
Per-pupil spending
3,943
Students enrolled
22nd
Pct. in KY
$52,654

Knox County sits in the lowest third of Kentucky districts on estimated teacher pay at $52,654 (above only 22% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $52,654, below the national average of $70,245, serving 3,943 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Knox County sits in the lowest third of Kentucky districts on estimated teacher pay at $52,654 (above only 22% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 22nd percentile for Kentucky
  • 21st percentile nationally
  • 31% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Kentucky ranks #40 of 49 on the salary estimate and #24 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Knox County ranks #133 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #66 of 171 by per-pupil spending. Jefferson County pay #1 at $73,395 is not Newport Independent spending #1 at $28,225 per pupil
  • +17.9% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Kentucky median

Among 171 Kentucky districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Knox County's instructional payroll puts 72.4% into regular program , 7.4 points below the state median of 79.8%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Knox County KY median Gap
Regular program 72.4% 79.8% -7.4 pp
Special education 20.7% 16.6% +4.1 pp
Vocational programs 5.2% 0.2% +5.0 pp
Other programs 1.7% 1.5% +0.2 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 171 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2103150 · FY2023.

LEAID 2103150 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Knox County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -7% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P22 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P21 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-MID 3,943 students INSTR-LOW 31% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Harlan FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $52,654 estimated average teacher salary · P22 in Kentucky · P21 nationally · 31% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Graves (+$291est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Knox County

Salary neighbourhood · Knox County

Knox 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 Knox County

Knox County's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$52,654 21st percentile higher than 21% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $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. Knox 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

Knox County in Kentucky's lower-third pay band

Same 171 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Knox County ranks #133 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #66 of 171 by per-pupil spending. Jefferson County pay #1 at $73,395 is not Newport Independent spending #1 at $28,225 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Knox County is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Newport Independent leads spending at $28,225 per pupil; Jefferson County leads pay.

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

What stands out about Knox County

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +17.9% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Kentucky's statewide +13.0% by 4.9 points, a growth rate faster than 76% of the 160 Kentucky districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 4,362 to 3,943 students (9.6% 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.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$52,653.962

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Kentucky price level
89.9 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$58,576

+11% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Knox County

What the Numbers Say About Knox County

Knox County is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Kentucky, serving 3,943 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $16,943. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $52,654, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2103150 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Kentucky statewide average of $56,482, teacher pay in Knox County runs materially below the state benchmark, a 6.8% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (25.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Kentucky, it pays more than 22% of them. Kentucky itself ranks #40 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Knox County reports $66.8M in total expenditure against $69.9M 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 $11.9M, special-education teacher pay is $3.4M.

How does Knox County compare?

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

Knox County $52,654
Jefferson County $73,395
Kentucky avg $56,482
National avg $70,245

Knox County pays -28.3% less than Jefferson County · per-pupil $16,943 vs $20,696

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 Kentucky districts

On pay, Knox County sits closest to Harlan County; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Ballard County. 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. Harlan County
  2. Magoffin County
  3. Breathitt County
  4. Graves County
  5. Ohio County
  6. Casey County
  7. Grayson County
  8. Nicholas County
  9. Christian County
  10. Powell County
  11. Bracken County
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Ballard County
  2. McCracken County
  3. Bell County
  4. Caldwell County
  5. Jackson County
  6. Mercer County
  7. McCreary County
  8. Harlan County
  9. Metcalfe County
  10. Danville Independent
  11. Murray Independent

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Knox County's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Knox County: closest on enrollment (3,943 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($52,654 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

$69.9M
Total Revenue
$66.8M
Total Expenditure
$20.6M
Instruction Salaries
31% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$11.9M
Regular Program
$3.4M
Special Education
$0.8M
Vocational
$0.3M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Knox 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 80% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 20% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Kentucky Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Kentucky districts belongs to Jefferson County at $73,395. Placed 127 of 161, Knox County is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. Kansas and West Virginia are the states closest to Kentucky 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 Kentucky districts →

Other Kentucky Districts

Smaller-district sample from 170 Kentucky peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

McCreary County
$56,059
2,715 students
Bardstown Independent
$65,268
2,713 students
Campbell County
$57,519
5,195 students
Bourbon County
$57,889
2,674 students
Barren County
$57,256
5,224 students
Greenup County
$51,846
2,634 students

This is a sample of 6 from 170 Kentucky districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Knox County
What is the average teacher salary in Knox County?

The average teacher salary in Knox County is $52,654 (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 Knox County teacher pay compare to the Kentucky average?

Knox County pays 6.8% less than the Kentucky state average of $56,482. The district's average is $52,654.

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

Knox County pays 25.0% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $52,654.

What is the per-pupil spending in Knox County?

Knox County spends approximately $16,943 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 31% of Knox County's total expenditure of $66.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Knox 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. Knox 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.