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School district · Pennsylvania · LEAID 4214160

Lower Merion SD

Lower Merion SD sits in the highest third of Pennsylvania districts on estimated teacher pay at $130,841 (above 100% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Lower Merion SD come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$130,841
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$35,510
Per-pupil spending
8,518
Students enrolled
100th
Pct. in PA
$130,841

Lower Merion SD sits in the highest third of Pennsylvania districts on estimated teacher pay at $130,841 (above 100% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $130,841, above the national average of $70,245, serving 8,518 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Upper-third pay in state: Lower Merion SD sits in the highest third of Pennsylvania districts on estimated teacher pay at $130,841 (above 100% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 100th percentile for Pennsylvania
  • 98th percentile nationally
  • 33% 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 Merion SD ranks #2 of 505 Pennsylvania districts by estimated teacher salary and #16 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

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How the salary estimate is built

FY2023 teacher salary expenditure

$99,799,000 ÷ 762.75 reported teacher FTE = $130,841

  • Regular program $68,502,000 · 68.6%
  • Special education $26,959,000 · 27.0%
  • Other programs $4,338,000 · 4.3%

These NCES F-33 program totals make up the numerator of the district-level average; they do not describe an individual teacher's pay or contract.

Instructional payroll mix vs Pennsylvania median

Among 520 Pennsylvania districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Lower Merion SD's instructional payroll puts 27.0% into special education , 8.2 points above the state median of 18.8%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Pennsylvania peer.

Program Lower Merion PA median Gap
Regular program 68.6% 75.1% -6.5 pp
Special education 27.0% 18.8% +8.2 pp
Vocational programs 0.0% 1.3% -1.3 pp
Other programs 4.3% 3.7% +0.6 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 4214160 · FY2023.

LEAID 4214160 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Lower Merion F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +59% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P100 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P98 national PPE-HIGH $36K/pupil ENR-MID 8,518 students INSTR-LOW 33% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Council FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $130,841 estimated average teacher salary · P100 in Pennsylvania · P98 nationally · 33% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Council ($9,697est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Lower Merion

Salary neighbourhood · Lower Merion

Lower Merion 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 Lower Merion

Lower Merion SD's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$130,841 Top 2% higher than 98% 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%). Below this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Below this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Below this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Below this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Lower Merion SD $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

Lower Merion in Pennsylvania's upper-third pay band

Same 505 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Lower Merion SD ranks #2 of 505 Pennsylvania districts by estimated teacher salary and #16 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

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Lower Merion SD is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Wilkinsburg Borough SD leads spending at $61,501 per pupil; Farrell Area SD leads pay.

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

What stands out about Lower Merion SD

  • It ranks in the top 5% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 98% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $35,510 is among the highest in the nation.

Pennsylvania sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$130,841.036

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Pennsylvania price level
97.4 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$134,334

+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 Merion SD

What the Numbers Say About Lower Merion SD

Lower Merion SD is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Pennsylvania, serving 8,518 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $35,510. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $130,841, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 4214160 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 Merion SD runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 59.4% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (86.3% differential). It pays the most of any enrolling district in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania itself ranks #11 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Lower Merion SD reports $302.5M in total expenditure against $312.6M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 33% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $68.5M, special-education teacher pay is $27.0M.

How does Lower Merion 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 Merion SD $130,841
Philadelphia City SD $74,421
Pennsylvania avg $82,070
National avg $70,245

Lower Merion SD pays +75.8% more than Philadelphia City SD · per-pupil $35,510 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 Merion SD sits closest to Council Rock SD; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Upper Merion Area 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.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Council Rock SD
  2. Wissahickon SD
  3. Upper Dublin SD
  4. Fox Chapel Area SD
  5. Cheltenham SD
  6. Montour SD
  7. Upper Merion Area SD
  8. Neshaminy SD
  9. Ridley SD
  10. New Castle Area SD
  11. Rose Tree Media SD
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Upper Merion Area SD
  2. Lower Moreland Township SD
  3. Woodland Hills SD
  4. Chichester SD
  5. Coatesville Area SD
  6. Southern York County SD
  7. Radnor Township SD
  8. Manheim Central SD
  9. Penn Hills SD
  10. Great Valley SD
  11. Pittsburgh SD

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Lower Merion SD's pay band

Two out-of-state peer sets for Lower Merion SD: closest on enrollment (8,518 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($130,841 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

$312.6M
Total Revenue
$302.5M
Total Expenditure
$99.8M
Instruction Salaries
33% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$68.5M
Regular Program
$27.0M
Special Education
$4.3M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Lower Merion SD: the regular program, special education and other programs. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs. 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. Only second place separates it from the ceiling: among the 485 districts of comparable size, Lower Merion SD is paid at the very top of the state, and the state average sits well below it. 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

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

Owen J Roberts SD
$87,798
5,424 students
Coatesville Area SD
$77,875
5,358 students
Centennial SD
$105,568
5,283 students
Canon-McMillan SD
$82,363
5,268 students
Northampton Area SD
$92,567
5,219 students
Hempfield Area SD
$92,851
5,182 students

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 Merion SD
What is the average teacher salary in Lower Merion SD?

The average teacher salary in Lower Merion SD is $130,841 (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 Merion SD teacher pay compare to the Pennsylvania average?

Lower Merion SD pays 59.4% more than the Pennsylvania state average of $82,070. The district's average is $130,841.

How does Lower Merion SD teacher pay compare to the national average?

Lower Merion SD pays 86.3% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $130,841.

What is the per-pupil spending in Lower Merion SD?

Lower Merion SD spends approximately $35,510 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Lower Merion SD's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 33% of Lower Merion SD's total expenditure of $302.5M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Lower Merion 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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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. Lower Merion SD'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.