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School district · Kentucky · LEAID 2105160

Russell County

Russell County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (3,005 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Russell County come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$53,437
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$15,443
Per-pupil spending
3,005
Students enrolled
27th
Pct. in KY
$53,437

Russell County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (3,005 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $53,437, below the national average of $70,245, serving 3,005 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Russell County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (3,005 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 27th percentile for Kentucky
  • 23rd percentile nationally
  • 26% 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.
  • Russell County ranks #124 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #115 of 171 by per-pupil spending. Jefferson County pay #1 at $73,395 is not Newport Independent spending #1 at $28,225 per pupil
  • +17.2% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Kentucky median

Among 171 Kentucky districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Russell County's instructional payroll puts 4.8% into other programs , 3.3 points above the state median of 1.5%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Russell County KY median Gap
Regular program 76.8% 79.8% -3.0 pp
Special education 15.9% 16.6% -0.7 pp
Vocational programs 2.5% 0.2% +2.3 pp
Other programs 4.8% 1.5% +3.3 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 171 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2105160 · FY2023.

LEAID 2105160 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Russell County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -5% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P27 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P23 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-MID 3,005 students INSTR-LOW 26% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Bracken FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $53,437 estimated average teacher salary · P27 in Kentucky · P23 nationally · 26% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Christian ($95est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Russell County

Salary neighbourhood · Russell County

Russell County 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).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Russell County

Russell County's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$53,437 23rd percentile higher than 23% 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. Russell 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

Russell 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 Russell County ranks #124 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #115 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

Russell 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 Russell County

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +17.2% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Kentucky's statewide +13.0% by 4.2 points, a growth rate faster than 71% of the 160 Kentucky districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$53,437.34

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
$59,447

+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 Russell County

What the Numbers Say About Russell County

Russell County is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Kentucky, serving 3,005 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $15,443. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $53,437, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2105160 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Kentucky statewide average of $56,482, teacher pay in Russell County runs materially below the state benchmark, a 5.4% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (23.9% differential). Among enrolling districts in Kentucky, it pays more than 27% 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, Russell County reports $46.4M in total expenditure against $45.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 26% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $8.0M, special-education teacher pay is $1.7M.

How does Russell County compare?

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

Russell County $53,437
Jefferson County $73,395
Kentucky avg $56,482
National avg $70,245

Russell County pays -27.2% less than Jefferson County · per-pupil $15,443 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, Russell County sits closest to Bracken County; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Carlisle 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. Bracken County
  2. Christian County
  3. Monroe County
  4. Dayton Independent
  5. Logan County
  6. Grayson County
  7. Frankfort Independent
  8. Casey County
  9. Hart County
  10. Graves County
  11. Estill County
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Carlisle County
  2. Garrard County
  3. Lawrence County
  4. Rockcastle County
  5. Raceland-Worthington Independent
  6. Jessamine County
  7. Ashland Independent
  8. Greenup County
  9. Butler County
  10. Russell Independent
  11. Clark County

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

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

Two out-of-state peer sets for Russell County: closest on enrollment (3,005 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($53,437 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

$45.4M
Total Revenue
$46.4M
Total Expenditure
$12.3M
Instruction Salaries
26% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$8.0M
Regular Program
$1.7M
Special Education
$0.3M
Vocational
$0.5M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Russell 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 85% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 15% 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. Russell County places 118 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.

Harrison County
$55,994
2,896 students
Paducah Independent
$59,525
3,119 students
Fort Thomas Independent
$66,660
3,127 students
Calloway County
$62,414
3,134 students
Allen County
$54,627
3,149 students
Wayne County
$50,425
3,207 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 Russell County
What is the average teacher salary in Russell County?

The average teacher salary in Russell County is $53,437 (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 Russell County teacher pay compare to the Kentucky average?

Russell County pays 5.4% less than the Kentucky state average of $56,482. The district's average is $53,437.

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

Russell County pays 23.9% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $53,437.

What is the per-pupil spending in Russell County?

Russell County spends approximately $15,443 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 26% of Russell County's total expenditure of $46.4M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Russell 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. Russell 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.