Background and Context
Most teachers negotiate salary without data. NCES F-33 data reveals what districts actually spend on instruction, how your district compares to peers, and where the money goes. This knowledge shifts negotiations from guesswork to evidence. PlainTeacher uses NCES CCD F-33 finance data to provide estimated teacher salary data, per-pupil spending, and district finance metrics for over 13,000 school districts. This guide explains what the data reveals and how to use it for practical decisions.
Public education finance in the United States is uniquely complex. Unlike most countries where education is funded centrally, US schools rely on a patchwork of local property taxes, state equalization formulas, and federal grants. This creates enormous variation in per-pupil spending - from under $8,000 in some districts to over $30,000 in others. Understanding this landscape requires knowing where the money comes from, how it is distributed, and what it buys.
The NCES F-33 survey is the most comprehensive source of district-level finance data in the United States. It collects revenue and expenditure data from every public school district annually, enabling side-by-side comparison that would be impossible from state data alone (since each state uses different accounting categories).
What NCES Finance Data Reveals
What it tells you: The F-33 survey provides total revenue by source (local, state, federal), total expenditures by function (instruction, support services, administration), and per-pupil spending for every district. PlainTeacher uses the instructional salary variable (Z33) to estimate average teacher compensation. Districts with higher per-pupil spending tend to offer higher teacher salaries, but the correlation is not perfect - administrative costs and non-salary benefits consume varying shares of total spending.
What it doesn't tell you: The F-33 survey does not include individual teacher salaries, teacher headcounts, or FTE data. PlainTeacher estimates average salary using total instructional expenditure divided by estimated teacher FTE (based on enrollment and a 15:1 ratio). These are estimates with known limitations, especially for specialized districts and districts with unusual enrollment patterns.
How to use it: Browse district profiles on PlainTeacher to see estimated salaries, per-pupil spending, and enrollment data. Use state pages to compare averages across states. Check rankings to see which districts offer the highest and lowest estimated salaries.
Per-Pupil Spending: The Key Context Metric
Per-pupil spending is the total expenditure divided by enrollment. It captures everything a district spends on education - salaries, benefits, facilities, transportation, supplies, and administration. The national average is approximately $14,000 per pupil, but the range is enormous: some rural districts spend under $8,000 while wealthy suburban districts exceed $25,000.
Higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes. Research consistently shows diminishing returns above a certain threshold, and how money is spent matters more than how much. However, districts that are chronically underfunded relative to their peers face structural challenges in recruiting teachers, maintaining facilities, and providing support services. Our per-pupil spending guide explores this in detail.
Practical Applications
Teachers evaluating job offers across districts can use PlainTeacher to compare estimated salaries and per-pupil spending. Parents comparing districts can see how much is spent on instruction versus administration. Researchers studying education funding can download comparative data that would otherwise require assembling state-by-state files. Policymakers can identify districts where funding levels are outliers relative to state peers.
For the most actionable analysis, combine PlainTeacher data with state-published salary schedules, school ratings from your state education department, and community-level information that no dataset captures: school culture, teacher turnover, and parent engagement.
What This Means for You
Step 1 - Look up your district. Search PlainTeacher for your current or prospective district to see estimated salary, per-pupil spending, and how it compares to state and national averages.
Step 2 - Compare to peers. Check nearby districts and state averages to understand where your district falls in the distribution. Is it above or below state average? By how much?
Step 3 - Check the methodology. Visit our NCES data guide to understand what the numbers represent and where estimates may be less reliable.
Step 4 - Verify with local sources. Cross-reference PlainTeacher estimates with your state's published teacher salary data, union contracts, and district budget documents for the most accurate picture.
Step 5 - Bring the numbers to the table. Walk into your negotiation with two anchor figures: (1) your district's estimated average instructional salary from PlainTeacher and (2) the state-average instructional salary for districts of similar enrollment band. Asking for a specific gap-closing number is far more persuasive than a generic raise request - administrators respond to data because data is auditable.
What Districts Cannot Easily Refuse
The strongest negotiating positions are evidence-based ones that frame your ask in terms the district must already report publicly. F-33 instructional-salary totals, state-published step-and-lane schedules, and union-contract minimums are all matters of public record. When a teacher asks "why does the district next door pay $4,200 more per year for the same credentials and experience?", the question is not rhetorical - it points to a fact the administrator can verify in seconds and must address rather than dismiss.
Combine the salary figure with retention math: replacing a mid-career teacher typically costs a district $10,000-$20,000 in recruitment, onboarding, and lost institutional knowledge. A $3,000 raise for a teacher who would otherwise leave is a clear financial win for the district, not a concession. Framing your ask in those terms shifts the conversation from "what we can afford" to "what we already spend on turnover".
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does PlainTeacher salary data come from?
NCES CCD F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, a federal dataset collected annually. PlainTeacher uses the FY2022 release (2021-22 school year).
How are teacher salaries estimated?
Total instructional salary expenditure (Z33) divided by estimated teacher FTE (enrollment / 15). These are estimates, not reported individual salaries.
How reliable are district salary estimates?
Most reliable for large, traditional districts. Less accurate for specialized service districts, charter-heavy districts, and very small districts. Compare to state-published data when available.