School district · Rhode Island · LEAID 4400870
Portsmouth
Portsmouth sits in the lowest third of Rhode Island districts on estimated teacher pay at $82,167 (above only 12% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Portsmouth come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $82,167
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $22,171
- Per-pupil spending
- 2,164
- Students enrolled
- 12th
- Pct. in RI
Below benchmark
Portsmouth sits in the lowest third of Rhode Island districts on estimated teacher pay at $82,167 (above only 12% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $82,167, above the national average of $70,245, serving 2,164 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Lower-third pay in state: Portsmouth sits in the lowest third of Rhode Island districts on estimated teacher pay at $82,167 (above only 12% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
- 12th percentile for Rhode Island
- 77th percentile nationally
- 34% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- Rhode Island ranks #5 of 49 on the salary estimate and #45 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Portsmouth ranks #30 of 34 Rhode Island districts by estimated teacher salary and #25 of 34 by per-pupil spending. Narragansett pay #1 at $108,019 is not Little Compton spending #1 at $45,050 per pupil
- +23.8% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)
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Instructional payroll mix vs Rhode Island median
Among 36 Rhode Island districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Portsmouth's instructional payroll puts 81.0% into regular program , 3.6 points above the state median of 77.4%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median Rhode Island district.
| Program | Portsmouth | RI median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 81.0% | 77.4% | +3.6 pp |
| Special education | 14.6% | 16.7% | -2.1 pp |
| Vocational programs | 3.4% | 2.7% | +0.8 pp |
| Other programs | 1.0% | 1.9% | -0.9 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 36 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 4400870 · FY2023.
LEAID 4400870 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Portsmouth F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $82,167 estimated average teacher salary · P12 in Rhode Island · P77 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Burrillville ($0est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Portsmouth
Salary neighbourhood · Portsmouth
Portsmouth trails 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).
- Foster · low pole
Foster · low pole
$76,927 est. salary
- Tiverton · near
Tiverton · near
$82,105 est. salary
- Burrillville · near
Burrillville · near
$82,166 est. salary
- Portsmouth
Portsmouth · this district
$82,167 est. salary
- Smithfield · near
Smithfield · near
$83,115 est. salary
- Narragansett · top pay
Narragansett · top pay
$108,019 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Portsmouth
Portsmouth's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$82,167 Top 23% higher than 77% 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
Portsmouth in Rhode Island's lower-third pay band
Same 34 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Narragansett
Narragansett
$108,019 est. avg salary
- Little Compton
Little Compton
$91,796 est. avg salary
- Portsmouth
Portsmouth
$82,167 est. avg salary
What this shows Portsmouth ranks #30 of 34 Rhode Island districts by estimated teacher salary and #25 of 34 by per-pupil spending. Narragansett pay #1 at $108,019 is not Little Compton spending #1 at $45,050 per pupil
The same districts by per-pupil spending
Portsmouth is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Little Compton
Little Compton
$45,050 per pupil
- Narragansett
Narragansett
$32,057 per pupil
- Portsmouth
Portsmouth
$22,171 per pupil
What this shows Little Compton leads spending at $45,050 per pupil; Narragansett leads pay.
What stands out about Portsmouth
- Estimated teacher pay here rose +23.8% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Rhode Island's statewide +18.0% by 5.8 points, a growth rate faster than 86% of the 29 Rhode Island districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
- Enrolment fell from 2,413 to 2,164 students (10.3% 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.
Rhode Island sits close to national prices
- Nominal district estimate
- $82,166.576
- Rhode Island price level
- 102.1 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $80,504
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
-2% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 Portsmouth
What the Numbers Say About Portsmouth
Portsmouth is a small school district in Rhode Island, serving 2,164 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $22,171. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $82,167, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 4400870 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Rhode Island statewide average of $89,674, teacher pay in Portsmouth runs materially below the state benchmark, a 8.4% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (17.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Rhode Island, it pays more than 12% of them. Rhode Island itself ranks #5 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Portsmouth reports $48.0M in total expenditure against $47.6M 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 $12.2M, special-education teacher pay is $2.2M.
How does Portsmouth compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Rhode Island average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Portsmouth pays -11.7% less than Providence · per-pupil $22,171 vs $29,598
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 Rhode Island districts
On pay, Portsmouth sits closest to Burrillville; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Lincoln. 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 with similar lower pay
Two out-of-state peer sets for Portsmouth: closest on enrollment (2,164 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($82,167 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 Portsmouth: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 91% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 9% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
Rhode Island Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized Rhode Island districts belongs to Narragansett at $108,019. Placed 28 of 31, Portsmouth is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. On BEA's price parity Rhode Island sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Colorado and Virginia are its nearest price peers.
View all Rhode Island districts →Other Rhode Island Districts
The bar behind each salary shows its magnitude within this Rhode Island sample (including Portsmouth). Hover or focus a value for the exact comparison.
This is a sample of 6 from 33 Rhode Island districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Portsmouth
What is the average teacher salary in Portsmouth?
The average teacher salary in Portsmouth is $82,167 (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 Portsmouth teacher pay compare to the Rhode Island average?
Portsmouth pays 8.4% less than the Rhode Island state average of $89,674. The district's average is $82,167.
How does Portsmouth teacher pay compare to the national average?
Portsmouth pays 17.0% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $82,167.
What is the per-pupil spending in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth spends approximately $22,171 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Portsmouth's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 34% of Portsmouth's total expenditure of $48.0M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Portsmouth
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 |