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School district · Tennessee · LEAID 4704290

Union County

Union County sits in the lowest third of Tennessee districts on estimated teacher pay at $32,029 (above only 0% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Union County come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$32,029
Est. avg teacher salary

Well below benchmark

$9,393
Per-pupil spending
5,939
Students enrolled
0th
Pct. in TN
$32,029

Union County sits in the lowest third of Tennessee districts on estimated teacher pay at $32,029 (above only 0% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $32,029, below the national average of $70,245, serving 5,939 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Union County sits in the lowest third of Tennessee districts on estimated teacher pay at $32,029 (above only 0% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 0th percentile for Tennessee
  • 0th percentile nationally
  • 25% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Tennessee ranks #38 of 49 on the salary estimate and #13 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Union County ranks #139 of 139 Tennessee districts by estimated teacher salary and #139 of 139 by per-pupil spending. Achievement School District pay #1 at $82,057 is not Franklin SSD spending #1 at $24,604 per pupil
  • -7.6% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Tennessee median

Among 141 Tennessee districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Union County's instructional payroll puts 7.3% into vocational programs , 2.4 points above the state median of 5.0%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical Tennessee peer.

Program Union County TN median Gap
Regular program 82.2% 84.1% -1.9 pp
Special education 10.5% 10.0% +0.5 pp
Vocational programs 7.3% 5.0% +2.4 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 141 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 4704290 · FY2023.

LEAID 4704290 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Union County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -45% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P0 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P0 national PPE-LOW $9K/pupil ENR-MID 5,939 students INSTR-LOW 25% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Campbell FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $32,029 estimated average teacher salary · P0 in Tennessee · P0 nationally · 25% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Bedford (+$19,130est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Union County

Salary neighbourhood · Union County

Union 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 Union County

Union County's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$32,029 0th percentile higher than 0% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Above this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $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. Union 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

Union County in Tennessee's lower-third pay band

Same 139 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Union County ranks #139 of 139 Tennessee districts by estimated teacher salary and #139 of 139 by per-pupil spending. Achievement School District pay #1 at $82,057 is not Franklin SSD spending #1 at $24,604 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Union County is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Franklin SSD leads spending at $24,604 per pupil; Achievement School District leads pay.

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

What stands out about Union County

  • It ranks in the bottom 5% nationally for estimated teacher pay, above only 0% of districts.
  • Estimated teacher pay here moved -7.6% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Tennessee's statewide +12.8% by 20.4 points, a growth rate faster than 1% of the 141 Tennessee districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 31.7% here, from 4,509 students in FY2019 to 5,939 in FY2023, against a national picture where far more districts shrank than grew over the same period. Growth of this kind typically arrives before the funding that follows it, so per-pupil figures often dip while a district absorbs it.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $9,393 is well below the national norm.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$32,028.885

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Tennessee price level
92.1 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$34,778

+9% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Union County

What the Numbers Say About Union County

Union County is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Tennessee, serving 5,939 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $9,393. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $32,029, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 4704290 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Tennessee statewide average of $57,941, teacher pay in Union County runs materially below the state benchmark, a 44.7% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (54.4% differential). Among enrolling districts in Tennessee, it pays more than 0% of them. Tennessee itself ranks #38 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Union County reports $55.8M in total expenditure against $61.3M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 25% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $9.9M, special-education teacher pay is $1.3M.

How does Union County compare?

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

Union County $32,029
Memphis-Shelby County Schools $58,671
Tennessee avg $57,941
National avg $70,245

Union County pays -45.4% less than Memphis-Shelby County Schools · per-pupil $9,393 vs $16,050

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 Tennessee districts

On pay, Union County sits closest to Campbell County; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Sweetwater. 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. Campbell County
  2. Milan
  3. Giles County
  4. Grundy County
  5. Benton County
  6. Crockett County
  7. Hardin County
  8. Overton County
  9. Marion County
  10. Weakley County
  11. Smith County
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Sweetwater
  2. Tipton County
  3. Chester County
  4. Overton County
  5. Smith County
  6. Macon County
  7. Gibson Co Sp Dist
  8. Lewis County
  9. Cheatham County
  10. Dickson County
  11. Bradley County

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

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

Two out-of-state peer sets for Union County: closest on enrollment (5,939 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($32,029 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

$61.3M
Total Revenue
$55.8M
Total Expenditure
$13.7M
Instruction Salaries
25% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$9.9M
Regular Program
$1.3M
Special Education
$0.9M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Union County: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. 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.

Tennessee Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Tennessee districts belongs to Achievement School District at $82,057. At the other end, Union County anchors the bottom of the 137-district field, so the gap between it and the state's ceiling is close to the full spread the state average is drawn from. Indiana and Idaho are the states closest to Tennessee 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 Tennessee districts →

Other Tennessee Districts

Smaller-district sample from 138 Tennessee peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Dyer County
$61,027
3,645 students
Tullahoma
$65,815
3,641 students
Washington County
$57,625
8,281 students
Sullivan County
$53,414
8,380 students
Lauderdale County
$57,392
3,413 students
Hardin County
$49,539
3,370 students

This is a sample of 6 from 138 Tennessee districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Union County
What is the average teacher salary in Union County?

The average teacher salary in Union County is $32,029 (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 Union County teacher pay compare to the Tennessee average?

Union County pays 44.7% less than the Tennessee state average of $57,941. The district's average is $32,029.

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

Union County pays 54.4% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $32,029.

What is the per-pupil spending in Union County?

Union County spends approximately $9,393 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 25% of Union County's total expenditure of $55.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Union 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. Union 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.