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PlainTeacher Guide

How to Read NCES Finance Data

PlainTeacher's salary data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Finance Survey. This guide explains what the F-33 is, what it measures, and how PlainTeacher converts raw expenditure figures into estimated average teacher salaries.

13,138
Districts in database
FY2022
Data vintage
15:1
Student-teacher ratio used

What Is the NCES CCD F-33 Survey?

The F-33 is an annual survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education. It collects fiscal data from every public school district in the United States - covering revenue sources (local, state, federal) and expenditures broken down by function.

The survey is mandatory for all local education agencies (LEAs) that receive federal education funding, which means coverage is effectively universal - all 13,000+ public school districts.

Key Variable: Z33 (Instruction Salaries)

The variable PlainTeacher uses most is Z33 - total current expenditures for instruction, salaries only. This captures:

  • Regular classroom teacher salaries
  • Special education teacher salaries
  • Vocational/career and technical teacher salaries
  • Instructional aide and paraprofessional salaries

Importantly, Z33 does not include benefits (health insurance, retirement contributions), which are captured in a separate variable. The numbers PlainTeacher shows reflect salary expenditures only.

Why "Estimated" Salaries?

The F-33 survey reports total dollar amounts at the district level - not individual salaries or even average salaries. There is no FTE (full-time equivalent) teacher count variable in the F-33.

To estimate average salary, PlainTeacher divides total instructional salaries (Z33) by an estimated teacher headcount. Teacher count is approximated using the district's total enrollment and a national average student-teacher ratio of 15:1.

Estimated Avg Salary = Z33 / (Enrollment / 15)

This approach produces reasonable estimates but has limitations: districts with very small enrollments or unusual staffing ratios will show distorted results. PlainTeacher excludes districts with fewer than 200 students to reduce this distortion.

Data Vintage

PlainTeacher uses the FY2022 F-33 data - the most recent complete fiscal year available at the time of our data build. The NCES typically releases data with an 18-24 month lag, so FY2022 data was released in late 2023/early 2024.

NCES F-33 Key Variables Reference

Variable Code What It Measures Used For
Total Instructional SalariesZ33All teacher salary expenditure (regular + special + vocational)Average salary estimate
Total EnrollmentV33Student headcount (fall)Teacher FTE approximation
Total ExpenditureTTEXPAll district spendingPer-pupil spending
Total RevenueTREVAll district revenue sourcesBudget health
Per-Pupil ExpenditurePPCTotal spending divided by enrollmentFunding comparison

Worked Example: Estimating Teacher Salary

Consider a district with Z33 = $45,000,000 and enrollment = 4,500 students:

Teacher FTE estimate = 4,500 / 15 = 300 teachers
Estimated Avg Salary = $45,000,000 / 300 = $150,000 (before benefits)
Note: This is instructional expenditure per FTE, not take-home pay.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

  • Estimates, not actuals. No district-level actual average salary is reported. These are approximations.
  • Z33 includes aides. Instructional aide salaries are included in Z33, slightly lowering the implied teacher-only average.
  • Ratio variability. The 15:1 ratio is a national average. Districts with very small class sizes will appear to pay less than they actually do, and vice versa.
  • No charter breakdown. F-33 reports LEA-level data; some LEAs include charter schools, others don't.

How to Use This Data Responsibly

Use PlainTeacher data for comparison and ranking - not as precise salary quotes. If you're a teacher evaluating districts, treat the numbers as order-of-magnitude guidance. Always verify with the district's actual salary schedule before making career decisions.

For journalists, researchers, or policymakers: cite NCES CCD F-33 as the source, and note that salary figures are NCES-derived estimates, not district-reported average salaries.

Source

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Common Core of Data, Local Education Agency Finance Survey (F-33), FY2022. nces.ed.gov/ccd

FAQ

What is the NCES CCD F-33 survey?

The F-33 is an annual survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics that collects revenue and expenditure data from every public school district in the United States.

What does Z33 (instruction salaries) include?

The Z33 variable includes salaries paid to teachers, instructional aides, and assistants. It covers all regular, special education, vocational, and other instructional programs.

Why are these estimated salaries, not actual teacher salaries?

The F-33 survey reports total dollar amounts for instructional salary expenditures at the district level, but does not include counts of teachers (FTE). PlainTeacher estimates average salary by dividing total instructional salaries by an estimated teacher headcount based on a 15:1 student-teacher ratio.