School district · Oklahoma · LEAID 4028590
Sterling
Sterling is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Oklahoma districts (328 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Sterling come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $46,360
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $13,933
- Per-pupil spending
- 328
- Students enrolled
- 26th
- Pct. in OK
Below benchmark
Sterling is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Oklahoma districts (328 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $46,360, below the national average of $70,245, serving 328 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Smaller enrollment scale: Sterling is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Oklahoma districts (328 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 26th percentile for Oklahoma
- 6th percentile nationally
- 28% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- Oklahoma ranks #48 of 49 on the salary estimate and #25 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Sterling ranks #306 of 413 Oklahoma districts by estimated teacher salary and #155 of 413 by per-pupil spending. Varnum pay #1 at $65,364 is not Frontier spending #1 at $34,520 per pupil
- +16.4% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)
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Instructional payroll mix vs Oklahoma median
Among 507 Oklahoma districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Sterling's instructional payroll puts 4.0% into other programs , 5.6 points below the state median of 9.6%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.
| Program | Sterling | OK median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 78.5% | 76.8% | +1.7 pp |
| Special education | 9.0% | 8.4% | +0.5 pp |
| Vocational programs | 8.5% | 3.6% | +4.9 pp |
| Other programs | 4.0% | 9.6% | -5.6 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 507 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 4028590 · FY2023.
LEAID 4028590 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Sterling F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $46,360 estimated average teacher salary · P26 in Oklahoma · P6 nationally · 28% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Choctaw-nicoma (+$282est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Sterling
Salary neighbourhood · Sterling
Sterling 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).
- El · low pole
El · low pole
$42,828 est. salary
- Tahlequah · near
Tahlequah · near
$45,664 est. salary
- Sterling
Sterling · this district
$46,360 est. salary
- Choctaw-nicoma · near
Choctaw-nicoma · near
$46,642 est. salary
- Union · near
Union · near
$47,051 est. salary
- Yukon · top pay
Yukon · top pay
$54,020 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Sterling
Sterling's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$46,360 6th percentile higher than 6% 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
Sterling in Oklahoma's lower-third pay band
Same 413 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Varnum
Varnum
$65,364 est. avg salary
- Frontier
Frontier
$49,213 est. avg salary
- Sterling
Sterling
$46,360 est. avg salary
What this shows Sterling ranks #306 of 413 Oklahoma districts by estimated teacher salary and #155 of 413 by per-pupil spending. Varnum pay #1 at $65,364 is not Frontier spending #1 at $34,520 per pupil
The same districts by per-pupil spending
Sterling is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Frontier
Frontier
$34,520 per pupil
- Sterling
Sterling
$13,933 per pupil
- Varnum $12,753
Varnum
$12,753 per pupil
What this shows Frontier leads spending at $34,520 per pupil; Varnum leads pay.
What stands out about Sterling
- It ranks in the bottom 10% nationally for estimated teacher pay, above only 6% of districts.
- Estimated teacher pay here rose +16.4% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Oklahoma's statewide +6.4% by 10.0 points, a growth rate faster than 79% of the 503 Oklahoma districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
- Enrolment fell from 391 to 328 students (16.1% 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.
- It is a very small district (328 students), where the enrollment-based salary estimate is more sensitive to staffing mix.
This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests
- Nominal district estimate
- $46,359.523
- Oklahoma price level
- 88.7 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $52,277
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
+13% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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 Sterling
What the Numbers Say About Sterling
Sterling is a small school district in Oklahoma, serving 328 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $13,933. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $46,360, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 4028590 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Oklahoma statewide average of $48,569, teacher pay in Sterling runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 4.5% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (34.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Oklahoma, it pays more than 26% of them. Oklahoma itself ranks #48 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Sterling reports $4.6M in total expenditure against $4.1M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 28% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $0.9M, special-education teacher pay is $0.1M.
How does Sterling compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Oklahoma average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Sterling pays -11.9% less than Tulsa · per-pupil $13,933 vs $14,252
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 Oklahoma districts
On pay, Sterling sits closest to Middleberg; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Big Pasture. 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 near Sterling's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Sterling: closest on enrollment (328 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($46,360 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 Sterling: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 88% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 12% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
Oklahoma Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized Oklahoma districts belongs to Mangum at $64,076. Placed 165 of 220, Sterling is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. Louisiana and Iowa are the states closest to Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma districts →Other Oklahoma Districts
Smaller-district sample from 412 Oklahoma peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.
This is a sample of 6 from 412 Oklahoma districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sterling
What is the average teacher salary in Sterling?
The average teacher salary in Sterling is $46,360 (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 Sterling teacher pay compare to the Oklahoma average?
Sterling pays 4.5% less than the Oklahoma state average of $48,569. The district's average is $46,360.
How does Sterling teacher pay compare to the national average?
Sterling pays 34.0% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $46,360.
What is the per-pupil spending in Sterling?
Sterling spends approximately $13,933 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Sterling's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 28% of Sterling's total expenditure of $4.6M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Sterling
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 |