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School district · Alabama · LEAID 0103030

Shelby County

Shelby County is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Alabama districts (21,179 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Shelby County come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$67,679
Est. avg teacher salary

Near benchmark

$14,506
Per-pupil spending
21,179
Students enrolled
59th
Pct. in AL
$67,679

Shelby County is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Alabama districts (21,179 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $67,679, near the national average of $70,245, serving 21,179 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Large enrollment scale: Shelby County is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Alabama districts (21,179 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 59th percentile for Alabama
  • 54th percentile nationally
  • 31% 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.
  • Shelby County ranks #57 of 138 Alabama districts by estimated teacher salary and #83 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Limestone County pay #1 at $118,952 is not Lowndes County spending #1 at $30,484 per pupil
  • +20.1% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Alabama median

Among 138 Alabama districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Shelby County's instructional payroll puts 14.4% into special education , 4.2 points above the state median of 10.2%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Alabama peer.

Program Shelby County AL median Gap
Regular program 79.6% 81.2% -1.6 pp
Special education 14.4% 10.2% +4.2 pp
Vocational programs 4.4% 5.5% -1.1 pp
Other programs 1.6% 3.1% -1.5 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 0103030 · FY2023.

LEAID 0103030 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Shelby County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-INLINE Near state avg RANK-ST-MID P59 in state RANK-NAT-MID P54 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-LARGE 21.2K students INSTR-LOW 31% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Huntsville FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $67,679 estimated average teacher salary · P59 in Alabama · P54 nationally · 31% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Huntsville ($215est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Shelby County

Salary neighbourhood · Shelby County

Shelby 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 Shelby County

Shelby County's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$67,679 Top 46% higher than 54% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Shelby 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

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$67,678.63

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
$75,961

+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 Shelby County

What the Numbers Say About Shelby County

Shelby County is a mid-sized school district in Alabama, serving 21,179 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $14,506. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $67,679, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0103030 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Alabama statewide average of $68,221, teacher pay in Shelby County runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 0.8% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (3.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in Alabama, it pays more than 59% 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, Shelby County reports $307.2M in total expenditure against $329.7M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 31% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $65.1M, special-education teacher pay is $11.8M.

How does Shelby County compare?

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

Shelby County $67,679
Mobile County $63,845
Alabama avg $68,221
National avg $70,245

Shelby County pays +6.0% more than Mobile County · per-pupil $14,506 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, Shelby County sits closest to Huntsville City; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Cullman 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. Huntsville City
  2. St Clair County
  3. Marshall County
  4. Eufaula City
  5. Lee County
  6. Baldwin County
  7. Alabaster City
  8. Houston County
  9. Blount County
  10. Walker County
  11. Jefferson County
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Cullman County
  2. Morgan County
  3. Auburn City
  4. Lee County
  5. Walker County
  6. Marshall County
  7. Huntsville City
  8. DeKalb County
  9. Mobile County
  10. Dothan City
  11. Alabaster City

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Shelby County's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Shelby County: closest on enrollment (21,179 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($67,679 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

$329.7M
Total Revenue
$307.2M
Total Expenditure
$95.7M
Instruction Salaries
31% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$65.1M
Regular Program
$11.8M
Special Education
$3.6M
Vocational
$1.3M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Shelby 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 86% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 14% 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. Shelby County places 57 of 137 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. 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

Large-district sample from 137 Alabama peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Oxford City
$65,038
4,203 students
Pell City
$67,653
4,157 students
Birmingham City
$71,904
21,130 students
Madison County
$69,067
20,551 students
Tuscaloosa County
$63,168
19,377 students
Huntsville City
$67,464
23,776 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 Shelby County
What is the average teacher salary in Shelby County?

The average teacher salary in Shelby County is $67,679 (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 Shelby County teacher pay compare to the Alabama average?

Shelby County pays 0.8% less than the Alabama state average of $68,221. The district's average is $67,679.

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

Shelby County pays 3.7% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $67,679.

What is the per-pupil spending in Shelby County?

Shelby County spends approximately $14,506 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 31% of Shelby County's total expenditure of $307.2M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Shelby 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. Shelby 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.