School district · Pennsylvania · LEAID 4214100
Lower Dauphin SD
Lower Dauphin SD is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Pennsylvania districts (3,463 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Lower Dauphin SD come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $78,142
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $19,977
- Per-pupil spending
- 3,463
- Students enrolled
- 40th
- Pct. in PA
Below benchmark
Lower Dauphin SD is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Pennsylvania districts (3,463 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $78,142, above the national average of $70,245, serving 3,463 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Smaller enrollment scale: Lower Dauphin SD is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Pennsylvania districts (3,463 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 40th percentile for Pennsylvania
- 72nd percentile nationally
- 31% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- Pennsylvania ranks #11 of 49 on the salary estimate and #6 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Lower Dauphin SD ranks #306 of 505 Pennsylvania districts by estimated teacher salary and #401 of 505 by per-pupil spending. Farrell Area SD pay #1 at $144,913 is not Wilkinsburg Borough SD spending #1 at $61,501 per pupil
- +12.4% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)
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Instructional payroll mix vs Pennsylvania median
Among 520 Pennsylvania districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Lower Dauphin SD's instructional payroll puts 68.0% into regular program , 7.1 points below the state median of 75.1%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.
| Program | Lower Dauphin | PA median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 68.0% | 75.1% | -7.1 pp |
| Special education | 23.3% | 18.8% | +4.5 pp |
| Vocational programs | 4.5% | 1.3% | +3.1 pp |
| Other programs | 4.2% | 3.7% | +0.5 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 520 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 4214100 · FY2023.
LEAID 4214100 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Lower Dauphin F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $78,142 estimated average teacher salary · P40 in Pennsylvania · P72 nationally · 31% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Chambersburg (+$1,262est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Lower Dauphin
Salary neighbourhood · Lower Dauphin
Lower Dauphin 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).
- Altoona · low pole
Altoona · low pole
$70,745 est. salary
- Cumberland · near
Cumberland · near
$76,048 est. salary
- Lower · this district
Lower · this district
$78,142 est. salary
- Chambersburg · near
Chambersburg · near
$79,404 est. salary
- Central · near
Central · near
$80,278 est. salary
- Lower · top pay
Lower · top pay
$130,841 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Lower Dauphin
Lower Dauphin SD's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$78,142 Top 28% higher than 72% 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
Lower Dauphin in Pennsylvania's lower-third pay band
Same 505 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Farrell Area SD
Farrell Area SD
$144,913 est. avg salary
- Wilkinsburg Borough SD
Wilkinsburg Borough SD
$84,393 est. avg salary
- Lower Dauphin SD
Lower Dauphin SD
$78,142 est. avg salary
What this shows Lower Dauphin SD ranks #306 of 505 Pennsylvania districts by estimated teacher salary and #401 of 505 by per-pupil spending. Farrell Area SD pay #1 at $144,913 is not Wilkinsburg Borough SD spending #1 at $61,501 per pupil
The same districts by per-pupil spending
Lower Dauphin SD is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Wilkinsburg Borough SD
Wilkinsburg Borough SD
$61,501 per pupil
- Farrell Area SD
Farrell Area SD
$50,170 per pupil
- Lower Dauphin SD $19,977
Lower Dauphin SD
$19,977 per pupil
What this shows Wilkinsburg Borough SD leads spending at $61,501 per pupil; Farrell Area SD leads pay.
What stands out about Lower Dauphin SD
- Enrolment fell from 3,656 to 3,463 students (5.3% 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.
Pennsylvania sits close to national prices
- Nominal district estimate
- $78,141.935
- Pennsylvania price level
- 97.4 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $80,228
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
+3% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in Pennsylvania sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.
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 Pennsylvania 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 Lower Dauphin SD
What the Numbers Say About Lower Dauphin SD
Lower Dauphin SD is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Pennsylvania, serving 3,463 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $19,977. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $78,142, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 4214100 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Pennsylvania statewide average of $82,070, teacher pay in Lower Dauphin SD runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 4.8% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (11.2% differential). Among enrolling districts in Pennsylvania, it pays more than 40% of them. Pennsylvania itself ranks #11 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Lower Dauphin SD reports $69.2M in total expenditure against $72.4M 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 $14.4M, special-education teacher pay is $4.9M.
How does Lower Dauphin SD compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Pennsylvania average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Lower Dauphin SD pays +5.0% more than Philadelphia City SD · per-pupil $19,977 vs $38,060
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 Pennsylvania districts
On pay, Lower Dauphin SD sits closest to Montgomery Area SD; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Shenandoah Valley SD. 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.
Similar estimated teacher pay
Similar per-pupil investment
Out-of-state districts near Lower Dauphin SD's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Lower Dauphin SD: closest on enrollment (3,463 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($78,142 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 Lower Dauphin SD: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 100% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 0% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
Pennsylvania Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized Pennsylvania districts belongs to Farrell Area SD at $144,913. Lower Dauphin SD places 299 of 485 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. On BEA's price parity Pennsylvania sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Vermont and Texas are its nearest price peers.
View all Pennsylvania districts →Other Pennsylvania Districts
Smaller-district sample from 505 Pennsylvania peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.
This is a sample of 6 from 505 Pennsylvania districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lower Dauphin SD
What is the average teacher salary in Lower Dauphin SD?
The average teacher salary in Lower Dauphin SD is $78,142 (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 Lower Dauphin SD teacher pay compare to the Pennsylvania average?
Lower Dauphin SD pays 4.8% less than the Pennsylvania state average of $82,070. The district's average is $78,142.
How does Lower Dauphin SD teacher pay compare to the national average?
Lower Dauphin SD pays 11.2% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $78,142.
What is the per-pupil spending in Lower Dauphin SD?
Lower Dauphin SD spends approximately $19,977 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Lower Dauphin SD's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 31% of Lower Dauphin SD's total expenditure of $69.2M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Lower Dauphin SD
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 |