PlainTeacher

School district · Alabama · LEAID 0102520

Muscle Shoals City

Muscle Shoals City is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Alabama districts (2,896 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Muscle Shoals City come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$98,218
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$15,140
Per-pupil spending
2,896
Students enrolled
99th
Pct. in AL
$98,218

Muscle Shoals City is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Alabama districts (2,896 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $98,218, above the national average of $70,245, serving 2,896 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Muscle Shoals City is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Alabama districts (2,896 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 99th percentile for Alabama
  • 90th percentile nationally
  • 32% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Alabama ranks #21 of 49 on the salary estimate and #22 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Muscle Shoals City ranks #2 of 138 Alabama districts by estimated teacher salary and #62 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Limestone County pay #1 at $118,952 is not Lowndes County spending #1 at $30,484 per pupil
  • +15.1% 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

Instructional payroll mix vs Alabama median

Among 138 Alabama districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Muscle Shoals City's instructional payroll puts 7.6% into vocational programs , 2.1 points above the state median of 5.5%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical Alabama peer.

Program Muscle Shoals AL median Gap
Regular program 81.7% 81.2% +0.5 pp
Special education 8.4% 10.2% -1.8 pp
Vocational programs 7.6% 5.5% +2.1 pp
Other programs 2.4% 3.1% -0.7 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 138 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0102520 · FY2023.

LEAID 0102520 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Muscle Shoals F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +44% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P99 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P90 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-MID 2,896 students INSTR-LOW 32% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Bessemer FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $98,218 estimated average teacher salary · P99 in Alabama · P90 nationally · 32% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Auburn ($17,442est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Muscle Shoals

Salary neighbourhood · Muscle Shoals

Muscle Shoals 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 Muscle Shoals

Muscle Shoals City's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$98,218 Top 10% higher than 90% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Muscle Shoals City $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

Muscle Shoals in Alabama's upper-third pay band

Same 138 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Muscle Shoals City ranks #2 of 138 Alabama districts by estimated teacher salary and #62 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Limestone County pay #1 at $118,952 is not Lowndes County spending #1 at $30,484 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Muscle Shoals City is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Lowndes County leads spending at $30,484 per pupil; Limestone County leads pay.

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

What stands out about Muscle Shoals City

  • It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 90% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$98,218.21

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Alabama price level
89.1 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$110,237

+12% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Alabama 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 Alabama 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 Muscle Shoals City

What the Numbers Say About Muscle Shoals City

Muscle Shoals City is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Alabama, serving 2,896 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $15,140. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $98,218, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0102520 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Alabama statewide average of $68,221, teacher pay in Muscle Shoals City runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 44.0% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (39.8% differential). Among enrolling districts in Alabama, it pays more than 99% of them. Alabama itself ranks #21 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Muscle Shoals City reports $43.8M in total expenditure against $43.0M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 32% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $10.2M, special-education teacher pay is $1.0M.

How does Muscle Shoals City compare?

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

Muscle Shoals City $98,218
Mobile County $63,845
Alabama avg $68,221
National avg $70,245

Muscle Shoals City pays +53.8% more than Mobile County · per-pupil $15,140 vs $14,922

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 Alabama districts

On pay, Muscle Shoals City sits closest to Bessemer City; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Demopolis City. 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. Bessemer City
  2. Daleville City
  3. Fairfield City
  4. Conecuh County
  5. Florence City
  6. Auburn City
  7. Troy City
  8. Decatur City
  9. Midfield City
  10. Vestavia Hills City
  11. Pickens County
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Demopolis City
  2. Geneva County
  3. Alabaster City
  4. Geneva City
  5. Monroe County
  6. Lanett City
  7. Dothan City
  8. Scottsboro City
  9. Opp City
  10. Lawrence County
  11. Troy City

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Muscle Shoals City's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Muscle Shoals City: closest on enrollment (2,896 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($98,218 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

$43.0M
Total Revenue
$43.8M
Total Expenditure
$14.0M
Instruction Salaries
32% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$10.2M
Regular Program
$1.0M
Special Education
$0.9M
Vocational
$0.3M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Muscle Shoals City: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 89% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 11% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Alabama Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Alabama districts belongs to Limestone County at $118,952. Only second place separates it from the ceiling: among the 137 districts of comparable size, Muscle Shoals City is paid at the very top of the state, and the state average sits well below it. Iowa and Louisiana are the states closest to Alabama 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 Alabama districts →

Other Alabama Districts

Smaller-district sample from 137 Alabama peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Russellville City
$73,015
2,614 students
Selma City
$65,509
2,587 students
Cullman City
$68,506
3,226 students
Bessemer City
$89,006
3,246 students
Washington County
$63,656
2,530 students
Henry County
$61,503
2,530 students

This is a sample of 6 from 137 Alabama districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Muscle Shoals City
What is the average teacher salary in Muscle Shoals City?

The average teacher salary in Muscle Shoals City is $98,218 (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 Muscle Shoals City teacher pay compare to the Alabama average?

Muscle Shoals City pays 44.0% more than the Alabama state average of $68,221. The district's average is $98,218.

How does Muscle Shoals City teacher pay compare to the national average?

Muscle Shoals City pays 39.8% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $98,218.

What is the per-pupil spending in Muscle Shoals City?

Muscle Shoals City spends approximately $15,140 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Muscle Shoals City's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 32% of Muscle Shoals City's total expenditure of $43.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Muscle Shoals City
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. Muscle Shoals City'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.