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School district · Michigan · LEAID 2635310

Waterford School District

Waterford School District spends $23,714 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Michigan districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Waterford School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$68,910
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$23,714
Per-pupil spending
6,948
Students enrolled
78th
Pct. in MI
$68,910

Waterford School District spends $23,714 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Michigan districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $68,910, near the national average of $70,245, serving 6,948 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • High per-pupil spending: Waterford School District spends $23,714 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Michigan districts with a reliable figure.
  • 78th percentile for Michigan
  • 57th percentile nationally
  • 22% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Michigan ranks #32 of 49 on the salary estimate and #11 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Waterford School District ranks #113 of 492 Michigan districts by estimated teacher salary and #55 of 492 by per-pupil spending. Brighton Area Schools pay #1 at $122,714 is not Pontiac City School District spending #1 at $41,914 per pupil
  • +25.1% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Michigan median

Among 575 Michigan districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Waterford School District's instructional payroll puts 20.6% into special education , 9.1 points above the state median of 11.4%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Michigan peer.

Program Waterford School MI median Gap
Regular program 72.9% 81.7% -8.8 pp
Special education 20.6% 11.4% +9.1 pp
Vocational programs 2.8% 0.0% +2.8 pp
Other programs 3.6% 4.4% -0.8 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 575 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2635310 · FY2023.

LEAID 2635310 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Waterford School F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +9% vs state RANK-ST-MID P78 in state RANK-NAT-MID P57 national PPE-HIGH $24K/pupil ENR-MID 6,948 students INSTR-LOW 22% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near East FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $68,910 estimated average teacher salary · P78 in Michigan · P57 nationally · 22% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Lake ($119est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Waterford School

Salary neighbourhood · Waterford School

Waterford School already leads 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 Waterford School

Waterford School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$68,910 Top 43% higher than 57% 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. Waterford School District $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

Waterford School in Michigan's lower-third pay band

Same 492 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Waterford School District ranks #113 of 492 Michigan districts by estimated teacher salary and #55 of 492 by per-pupil spending. Brighton Area Schools pay #1 at $122,714 is not Pontiac City School District spending #1 at $41,914 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Waterford School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Pontiac City School District leads spending at $41,914 per pupil; Brighton Area Schools leads pay.

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

What stands out about Waterford School District

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +25.1% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Michigan's statewide +17.1% by 7.9 points, a growth rate faster than 82% of the 513 Michigan districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 8,361 to 6,948 students (16.9% 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.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$68,909.598

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Michigan price level
94.3 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$73,078

+6% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Michigan 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 Michigan 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 Waterford School District

What the Numbers Say About Waterford School District

Waterford School District is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Michigan, serving 6,948 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $23,714. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $68,910, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2635310 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Michigan statewide average of $63,155, teacher pay in Waterford School District runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 9.1% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (1.9% differential). Among enrolling districts in Michigan, it pays more than 78% of them. Michigan itself ranks #32 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Waterford School District reports $164.8M in total expenditure against $153.0M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 22% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $21.8M, special-education teacher pay is $6.2M.

How does Waterford School District compare?

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

Waterford School District $68,910
Detroit Public Schools Community District $78,081
Michigan avg $63,155
National avg $70,245

Waterford School District pays -11.7% less than Detroit Public Schools Community District · per-pupil $23,714 vs $23,287

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 Michigan districts

On pay, Waterford School District sits closest to East Grand Rapids Public Schools; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Lake Orion Community Schools. 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. East Grand Rapids Public Schools
  2. Mona Shores Public School District
  3. Fremont Public School District
  4. St. Joseph Public Schools
  5. Lake Orion Community Schools
  6. Midland Public Schools
  7. Lakeshore School District (Berrien)
  8. Airport Community Schools
  9. Trenton Public Schools
  10. Okemos Public Schools
  11. Swartz Creek Community Schools
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Lake Orion Community Schools
  2. Southfield Public School District
  3. Wyandotte School District of the City of
  4. Pinckney Community Schools
  5. Battle Creek Public Schools
  6. Fitzgerald Public Schools
  7. Southgate Community School District
  8. Van Dyke Public Schools
  9. Livonia Public Schools School District
  10. Chelsea School District
  11. Holland City School District

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Waterford School District's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Waterford School District: closest on enrollment (6,948 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($68,910 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

$153.0M
Total Revenue
$164.8M
Total Expenditure
$35.4M
Instruction Salaries
22% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$21.8M
Regular Program
$6.2M
Special Education
$0.8M
Vocational
$1.1M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Waterford School District: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. 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.

Michigan Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Michigan districts belongs to Brighton Area Schools at $122,714. Waterford School District places 111 of 431 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. North Carolina and South Carolina are the states closest to Michigan 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 Michigan districts →

Other Michigan Districts

Smaller-district sample from 508 Michigan peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Grand Ledge Public Schools
$61,214
5,065 students
Farmington Public School District
$67,430
8,895 students
Bloomfield Hills Schools
$82,673
4,946 students
Holt Public Schools
$64,988
4,906 students
Southfield Public School District
$80,535
4,849 students
Lincoln Park School District of the City of
$79,938
4,827 students

This is a sample of 6 from 508 Michigan districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Waterford School District
What is the average teacher salary in Waterford School District?

The average teacher salary in Waterford School District is $68,910 (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 Waterford School District teacher pay compare to the Michigan average?

Waterford School District pays 9.1% more than the Michigan state average of $63,155. The district's average is $68,910.

How does Waterford School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Waterford School District pays 1.9% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $68,910.

What is the per-pupil spending in Waterford School District?

Waterford School District spends approximately $23,714 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Waterford School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 22% of Waterford School District's total expenditure of $164.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Waterford School District
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. Waterford School District'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.