School district · Massachusetts · LEAID 2512000
Waltham
Waltham spends $50,869 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Massachusetts districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Waltham come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $88,244
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $50,869
- Per-pupil spending
- 5,643
- Students enrolled
- 62nd
- Pct. in MA
Above benchmark
Waltham spends $50,869 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Massachusetts districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $88,244, above the national average of $70,245, serving 5,643 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- High per-pupil spending: Waltham spends $50,869 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Massachusetts districts with a reliable figure.
- 62nd percentile for Massachusetts
- 83rd percentile nationally
- 20% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- Massachusetts ranks #9 of 49 on the salary estimate and #17 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Waltham ranks #109 of 288 Massachusetts districts by estimated teacher salary and #3 of 288 by per-pupil spending. Boston pay #1 at $121,260 is not Watertown spending #1 at $60,947 per pupil
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Instructional payroll mix vs Massachusetts median
Among 318 Massachusetts districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Waltham's instructional payroll puts 14.9% into special education , 3.9 points below the state median of 18.8%. Special-education salary is a thinner slice of instructional pay here than at the median Massachusetts district, not a judgment of need, only of how F-33 codes the payroll.
| Program | Waltham | MA median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 82.7% | 79.6% | +3.0 pp |
| Special education | 14.9% | 18.8% | -3.9 pp |
| Vocational programs | 2.5% | 0.0% | +2.5 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 318 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2512000 · FY2023.
LEAID 2512000 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Waltham F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $88,244 estimated average teacher salary · P62 in Massachusetts · P83 nationally · 20% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Arlington (+$507est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Waltham
Salary neighbourhood · Waltham
Waltham 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).
- Holyoke · low pole
Holyoke · low pole
$60,568 est. salary
- Malden · near
Malden · near
$87,030 est. salary
- Waltham
Waltham · this district
$88,244 est. salary
- Arlington · near
Arlington · near
$88,751 est. salary
- Attleboro · near
Attleboro · near
$89,054 est. salary
- Boston · top pay
Boston · top pay
$121,260 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Waltham
Waltham's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$88,244 Top 17% higher than 83% 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
What stands out about Waltham
- Its per-pupil spending of $50,869 is among the highest in the nation.
Massachusetts prices absorb part of this salary
- Nominal district estimate
- $88,244.446
- Massachusetts price level
- 107.7 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $81,954
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
-7% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in Massachusetts run above the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. Comparing it with a district in a cheaper state without this adjustment overstates its relative value.
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 Massachusetts 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 Waltham
What the Numbers Say About Waltham
Waltham is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Massachusetts, serving 5,643 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $50,869. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $88,244, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2512000 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Massachusetts statewide average of $84,560, teacher pay in Waltham runs roughly in line with the state benchmark, a 4.4% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (25.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in Massachusetts, it pays more than 62% of them. Massachusetts itself ranks #9 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Waltham reports $287.1M in total expenditure against $201.0M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 20% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $40.3M, special-education teacher pay is $7.2M.
How does Waltham compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Massachusetts average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Waltham pays -27.2% less than Boston · per-pupil $50,869 vs $45,516
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 Massachusetts districts
On pay, Waltham sits closest to Tantasqua; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Cambridge. 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 Waltham's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Waltham: closest on enrollment (5,643 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($88,244 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 3 programs in Waltham: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 84% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 16% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
Massachusetts Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized Massachusetts districts belongs to Boston at $121,260. Waltham places 102 of 272 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. Because Massachusetts prices run above the national average, this salary is worth less than the same number elsewhere; New York and Washington are the states it can be compared with directly on BEA's price parity.
View all Massachusetts districts →Other Massachusetts Districts
Smaller-district sample from 289 Massachusetts peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.
This is a sample of 6 from 289 Massachusetts districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Waltham
What is the average teacher salary in Waltham?
The average teacher salary in Waltham is $88,244 (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 Waltham teacher pay compare to the Massachusetts average?
Waltham pays 4.4% more than the Massachusetts state average of $84,560. The district's average is $88,244.
How does Waltham teacher pay compare to the national average?
Waltham pays 25.6% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $88,244.
What is the per-pupil spending in Waltham?
Waltham spends approximately $50,869 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Waltham's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 20% of Waltham's total expenditure of $287.1M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Waltham
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
| Publisher | PlainTeacher |
| Sources | Public official public datasets |