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School district · Kentucky · LEAID 2103990

McCreary County

McCreary County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (2,715 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for McCreary County come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$56,059
Est. avg teacher salary

Near benchmark

$16,751
Per-pupil spending
2,715
Students enrolled
47th
Pct. in KY
$56,059

McCreary County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (2,715 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $56,059, below the national average of $70,245, serving 2,715 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: McCreary County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (2,715 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 47th percentile for Kentucky
  • 28th percentile nationally
  • 27% 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.
  • McCreary County ranks #91 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #69 of 171 by per-pupil spending. Jefferson County pay #1 at $73,395 is not Newport Independent spending #1 at $28,225 per pupil
  • +17.5% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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LEAID 2103990 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

McCreary County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-INLINE Near state avg RANK-ST-LOW P47 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P28 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-MID 2,715 students INSTR-LOW 27% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Metcalfe FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $56,059 estimated average teacher salary · P47 in Kentucky · P28 nationally · 27% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Madison ($47est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for McCreary County

Salary neighbourhood · McCreary County

McCreary County 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 McCreary County

McCreary County's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$56,059 28th percentile higher than 28% 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. McCreary 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

McCreary 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 McCreary County ranks #91 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #69 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

McCreary 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 McCreary County

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +17.5% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Kentucky's statewide +13.0% by 4.5 points, a growth rate faster than 74% of the 160 Kentucky districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 2,878 to 2,715 students (5.7% 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
$56,059.459

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
$62,365

+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 McCreary County

What the Numbers Say About McCreary County

McCreary County is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Kentucky, serving 2,715 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $16,751. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $56,059, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2103990 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Kentucky statewide average of $56,482, teacher pay in McCreary County runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 0.7% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (20.2% differential). Among enrolling districts in Kentucky, it pays more than 47% 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, McCreary County reports $45.5M in total expenditure against $50.3M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 27% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $8.2M, special-education teacher pay is $1.8M.

How does McCreary County compare?

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

McCreary County $56,059
Jefferson County $73,395
Kentucky avg $56,482
National avg $70,245

McCreary County pays -23.6% less than Jefferson County · per-pupil $16,751 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, McCreary County sits closest to Metcalfe County; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Harlan 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. Metcalfe County
  2. Harrison County
  3. Carroll County
  4. Owen County
  5. Lawrence County
  6. Jackson County
  7. Grant County
  8. Knott County
  9. Henry County
  10. Russell Independent
  11. Butler County
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Harlan County
  2. Metcalfe County
  3. Jackson County
  4. McCracken County
  5. Knox County
  6. Ballard County
  7. Bell County
  8. Caldwell County
  9. Murray Independent
  10. Trimble County
  11. Mercer County

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

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

Two out-of-state peer sets for McCreary County: closest on enrollment (2,715 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($56,059 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

$50.3M
Total Revenue
$45.5M
Total Expenditure
$12.4M
Instruction Salaries
27% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$8.2M
Regular Program
$1.8M
Special Education
$0.2M
Vocational
$0.1M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in McCreary 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 83% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 17% 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. McCreary County places 85 of 161 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. 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.

Powell County
$51,883
2,130 students
Knott County
$56,334
2,092 students
Johnson County
$60,029
3,344 students
Spencer County
$57,954
3,369 students
Union County
$54,375
2,055 students
Jackson County
$55,895
2,053 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 McCreary County
What is the average teacher salary in McCreary County?

The average teacher salary in McCreary County is $56,059 (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 McCreary County teacher pay compare to the Kentucky average?

McCreary County pays 0.7% less than the Kentucky state average of $56,482. The district's average is $56,059.

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

McCreary County pays 20.2% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $56,059.

What is the per-pupil spending in McCreary County?

McCreary County spends approximately $16,751 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 27% of McCreary County's total expenditure of $45.5M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for McCreary 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. McCreary 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.