PlainTeacher

School district · Massachusetts · LEAID 2507020

Lowell

Lowell is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Massachusetts districts (14,130 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Lowell come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$85,371
Est. avg teacher salary

Near benchmark

$30,486
Per-pupil spending
14,130
Students enrolled
51st
Pct. in MA
$85,371

Lowell is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Massachusetts districts (14,130 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $85,371, above the national average of $70,245, serving 14,130 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Large enrollment scale: Lowell is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Massachusetts districts (14,130 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 51st percentile for Massachusetts
  • 80th percentile nationally
  • 34% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Massachusetts ranks #9 of 49 on the salary estimate and #17 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Lowell ranks #141 of 288 Massachusetts districts by estimated teacher salary and #55 of 288 by per-pupil spending. Boston pay #1 at $121,260 is not Watertown spending #1 at $60,947 per pupil
  • +28.4% 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

LEAID 2507020 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Lowell F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-INLINE Near state avg RANK-ST-MID P51 in state RANK-NAT-MID P80 national PPE-HIGH $30K/pupil ENR-LARGE 14.1K students INSTR-LOW 34% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Marshfield FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $85,371 estimated average teacher salary · P51 in Massachusetts · P80 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Wachusett (+$528est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Lowell

Salary neighbourhood · Lowell

Lowell sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (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 Lowell

Lowell's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$85,371 Top 20% higher than 80% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Lowell $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

What stands out about Lowell

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +28.4% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Massachusetts's statewide +19.4% by 9.0 points, a growth rate faster than 90% of the 224 Massachusetts districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $30,486 is among the highest in the nation.

Massachusetts prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$85,371.092

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Massachusetts price level
107.7 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$79,286

-7% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Lowell

What the Numbers Say About Lowell

Lowell is a mid-sized school district in Massachusetts, serving 14,130 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $30,486. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $85,371, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2507020 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Massachusetts statewide average of $84,560, teacher pay in Lowell runs roughly in line with the state benchmark, a 1.0% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (21.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in Massachusetts, it pays more than 51% of them. Massachusetts itself ranks #9 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Lowell reports $430.8M in total expenditure against $346.1M 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 $81.7M, special-education teacher pay is $18.5M.

How does Lowell compare?

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

Lowell $85,371
Boston $121,260
Massachusetts avg $84,560
National avg $70,245

Lowell pays -29.6% less than Boston · per-pupil $30,486 vs $45,516

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 Massachusetts districts

On pay, Lowell sits closest to Marshfield; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Salem. 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. Marshfield
  2. Westborough
  3. North Andover
  4. Wachusett
  5. Quincy
  6. Chelmsford
  7. Peabody
  8. Reading
  9. Barnstable
  10. Revere
  11. Milford
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Salem
  2. Worcester
  3. Lawrence
  4. Newton
  5. Pittsfield
  6. Lexington
  7. Revere
  8. Braintree
  9. Wellesley
  10. Framingham
  11. Medford

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Lowell's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Lowell: closest on enrollment (14,130 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($85,371 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

$346.1M
Total Revenue
$430.8M
Total Expenditure
$147.3M
Instruction Salaries
34% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$81.7M
Regular Program
$18.5M
Special Education

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 2 programs in Lowell: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and other programs. Together they are 68% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 32% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Massachusetts Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Massachusetts districts belongs to Boston at $121,260. Lowell places 132 of 272 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. Because Massachusetts prices run above the national average, this salary is worth less than the same number elsewhere; New York and Washington are the states it can be compared with directly on BEA's price parity.

View all Massachusetts districts →

Other Massachusetts Districts

Large-district sample from 289 Massachusetts peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Marlborough
$82,636
4,765 students
Franklin
$88,219
4,711 students
Westford
$87,190
4,710 students
Beverly
$79,221
4,575 students
Springfield
$70,162
23,721 students
Milford
$86,940
4,483 students

This is a sample of 6 from 289 Massachusetts districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

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

The average teacher salary in Lowell is $85,371 (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 Lowell teacher pay compare to the Massachusetts average?

Lowell pays 1.0% more than the Massachusetts state average of $84,560. The district's average is $85,371.

How does Lowell teacher pay compare to the national average?

Lowell pays 21.5% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $85,371.

What is the per-pupil spending in Lowell?

Lowell spends approximately $30,486 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Lowell's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 34% of Lowell's total expenditure of $430.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Lowell
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. Lowell'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.