State profile · NCES F-33 FY2023
Teacher Salary in Alabama
Alabama's estimated average is $68,221 across 138 reliable districts (#21 of 49). According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available for every public school district in Alabama.
- $68,221
- Est. state avg salary
- -2.9%
- vs national
- #21
- National rank
- 138
- Districts
Near benchmark
Keep this state in your shortlist
Save it in this browser, then return when PlainTeacher adds a newer public-data release. No account or personal details required.
Alabama's estimated average is $68,221 across 138 reliable districts (#21 of 49). Estimated average teacher salary is $68,221, below the national average of $70,245, ranking #21 of 49, across 138 public school districts with reliable data (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Mid-pack salary posture: Alabama's estimated average is $68,221 across 138 reliable districts (#21 of 49).
- middle third nationally (#21 of 49)
- Alabama ranks #21 of 49 on the salary estimate and #22 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- $61,515 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
- -2.9% vs the national average
- +18.0% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (balanced cohort, not the FTE average above)
- #21 of 49 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 89.1)
Same-district trend
How does a balanced panel separate change from district turnover?
For the same 116 Alabama districts present with valid estimates in every release, the average state figure moved from $48,559 in FY2019 to $57,300 in FY2023 (+18.0%).
The fixed cohort prevents entering or missing districts from masquerading as salary movement. It is still a change in a derived district-level estimate, not evidence of any individual teacher's raise.
Purchasing-power-adjusted rank for Alabama
Alabama's nominal average teacher salary ranks #21 of the 49 states and territories that report teacher salaries. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2023 Regional Price Parity (89.1, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $77,113, ranking #21 of 49 , unchanged from the nominal rank. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download. BEA Regional Price Parities · NCES CCD F-33
Alabama in the teacher-salary distribution
FY2023 estimated state averages from the same NCES-derived ranking
$68,221 Top 43% higher than 57% of 49 reporting states and territories
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more reporting states and territories. 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; state estimates derived from reported instructional-salary expenditure and teacher FTE · FY2023
Alabama's comparable salary trend
Same reporting-district cohort, FY2019-FY2023
- FY2023 estimated average
- $57,300 17.999578758236545% vs FY2019
- 116 districts held in the panel
Read the chart as text
| Period | Alabama est. avg teacher salary |
|---|---|
| FY2019 | $48,559 |
| FY2020 | $50,321 |
| FY2021 | $51,759 |
| FY2022 | $53,728 |
| FY2023 | $57,300 |
Highest-paying districts in Alabama
Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)
-
$118,952 Est. avg salary
-
$98,218 Est. avg salary
-
$89,006 Est. avg salary
-
$85,307 Est. avg salary
-
$82,725 Est. avg salary
-
$82,644 Est. avg salary
-
$80,906 Est. avg salary
-
$80,776 Est. avg salary
-
$78,717 Est. avg salary
-
$76,944 Est. avg salary
What this shows Limestone County leads Alabama on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.
Top 3 districts
Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary
| District | Est. Avg Salary | Enrollment | Per-Pupil Exp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limestone County | $118,952 | 15,887 | $11,392 |
| Muscle Shoals City | $98,218 | 2,896 | $15,140 |
| Bessemer City | $89,006 | 3,246 | $17,254 |
| Daleville City | $85,307 | 1,154 | $13,496 |
| Fairfield City | $82,725 | 1,411 | $18,261 |
| Conecuh County | $82,644 | 1,487 | $17,679 |
| Florence City | $80,906 | 4,489 | $17,799 |
| Auburn City | $80,776 | 9,492 | $14,604 |
| Troy City | $78,717 | 1,763 | $14,928 |
| Decatur City | $76,944 | 8,745 | $16,930 |
| Midfield City | $76,587 | 1,045 | $13,882 |
| Vestavia Hills City | $75,368 | 7,069 | $15,656 |
| Pickens County | $73,861 | 2,373 | $14,220 |
| Phenix City | $73,376 | 7,218 | $13,063 |
| Russellville City | $73,015 | 2,614 | $14,919 |
| Escambia County | $72,952 | 4,208 | $15,591 |
| Dallas County | $72,640 | 2,488 | $21,563 |
| Winston County | $72,312 | 2,302 | $18,514 |
| Bullock County | $72,139 | 1,397 | $20,004 |
| Birmingham City | $71,904 | 21,130 | $18,405 |
| Leeds City | $71,734 | 2,223 | $12,842 |
| Ozark City | $71,502 | 2,054 | $14,833 |
| Cullman County | $71,389 | 9,846 | $14,503 |
| Athens City | $71,385 | 4,840 | $13,474 |
| Alexander City | $71,337 | 2,899 | $16,574 |
| Greene County | $70,939 | 913 | $21,586 |
| Mountain Brook City | $70,735 | 4,409 | $23,775 |
| Cherokee County | $70,585 | 3,886 | $16,610 |
| Jackson County | $70,310 | 5,200 | $15,828 |
| Gadsden City | $69,922 | 4,939 | $14,874 |
| Lowndes County | $69,901 | 1,176 | $30,484 |
| Macon County | $69,846 | 1,790 | $19,098 |
| Pike Road City | $69,574 | 2,695 | $12,230 |
| Montgomery County | $69,484 | 26,821 | $15,403 |
| Opelika City | $69,368 | 5,048 | $17,538 |
| Chickasaw City | $69,325 | 2,654 | $11,672 |
| Gulf Shores City | $69,241 | 2,450 | $17,324 |
| Jacksonville City | $69,218 | 1,752 | $16,814 |
| Tarrant City | $69,211 | 1,271 | $16,142 |
| Franklin County | $69,139 | 3,637 | $15,619 |
| Madison County | $69,067 | 20,551 | $12,401 |
| Attalla City | $69,031 | 1,538 | $12,391 |
| Marion County | $68,975 | 3,329 | $13,878 |
| Enterprise City | $68,960 | 6,651 | $12,427 |
| Lauderdale County | $68,948 | 8,080 | $13,835 |
| Perry County | $68,906 | 935 | $22,740 |
| Hoover City | $68,749 | 13,557 | $15,545 |
| Jefferson County | $68,738 | 35,951 | $13,684 |
| Lamar County | $68,653 | 2,201 | $13,100 |
| Demopolis City | $68,573 | 2,064 | $15,083 |
| Cullman City | $68,506 | 3,226 | $20,128 |
| Jasper City | $68,357 | 2,770 | $14,879 |
| Brewton City | $68,331 | 1,224 | $14,427 |
| Anniston City | $68,087 | 1,892 | $19,080 |
| Marshall County | $67,959 | 5,951 | $14,746 |
| Pelham City | $67,846 | 3,425 | $17,454 |
| Shelby County | $67,679 | 21,179 | $14,506 |
| Talladega City | $67,667 | 1,560 | $16,557 |
| Pell City | $67,653 | 4,157 | $15,478 |
| Butler County | $67,522 | 2,900 | $18,977 |
| Huntsville City | $67,464 | 23,776 | $14,762 |
| St Clair County | $67,455 | 9,747 | $12,245 |
| Eufaula City | $67,259 | 6,289 | $10,918 |
| Lee County | $67,245 | 9,312 | $14,402 |
| Barbour County | $67,189 | 715 | $23,831 |
| Geneva County | $67,151 | 2,784 | $15,075 |
| Elba City | $66,932 | 685 | $15,009 |
| Baldwin County | $66,931 | 31,517 | $15,585 |
| Alabaster City | $66,909 | 6,425 | $15,074 |
| Houston County | $66,813 | 6,883 | $13,269 |
| Haleyville City | $66,812 | 1,644 | $13,660 |
| Andalusia City | $66,743 | 1,871 | $13,458 |
| Pike County | $66,733 | 2,155 | $16,273 |
| Blount County | $66,725 | 7,798 | $13,017 |
| Homewood City | $66,721 | 4,371 | $17,138 |
| Walker County | $66,701 | 7,188 | $14,396 |
| Arab City | $66,624 | 2,653 | $12,140 |
| Monroe County | $66,567 | 3,077 | $15,041 |
| Cleburne County | $66,498 | 2,507 | $13,678 |
| Coosa County | $66,229 | 805 | $17,354 |
| Etowah County | $66,217 | 8,702 | $12,503 |
| Sumter County | $66,060 | 1,006 | $20,179 |
| Roanoke City | $65,762 | 1,447 | $13,146 |
| Lanett City | $65,754 | 963 | $15,247 |
| Satsuma City | $65,728 | 1,502 | $13,542 |
| Guntersville City | $65,657 | 1,851 | $30,038 |
| Opp City | $65,621 | 1,329 | $14,949 |
| Oneonta City | $65,596 | 1,403 | $12,840 |
| Dothan City | $65,593 | 8,021 | $14,962 |
| Trussville City | $65,591 | 5,065 | $14,246 |
| Selma City | $65,509 | 2,587 | $16,668 |
| Boaz City | $65,467 | 2,471 | $14,245 |
| Chambers County | $65,303 | 3,158 | $14,429 |
| Tallassee City | $65,280 | 1,536 | $17,667 |
| Clay County | $65,235 | 1,784 | $13,883 |
| Sylacauga City | $65,116 | 2,125 | $12,926 |
| Winfield City | $65,088 | 1,255 | $15,390 |
| Piedmont City | $65,084 | 1,131 | $12,920 |
| Oxford City | $65,038 | 4,203 | $15,870 |
| Hartselle City | $64,965 | 3,638 | $20,419 |
Showing 1–100 of 138 enrolling districts. Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking, their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.
Lowest-Paying Districts in Alabama
| District | Est. Avg Salary | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Choctaw County | $57,436 | 1,097 |
| Linden City | $57,468 | 434 |
| Calhoun County | $59,253 | 8,050 |
| Scottsboro City | $59,480 | 2,416 |
| Coffee County | $60,776 | 2,846 |
| Hale County | $61,019 | 2,318 |
| Fayette County | $61,243 | 2,163 |
| Albertville City | $61,299 | 5,900 |
| Henry County | $61,503 | 2,530 |
| Marengo County | $61,514 | 953 |
Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.
Nationwide states with similar K-12 scale to Alabama
Two nationwide peer sets for Alabama: closest on estimated average teacher salary ($68,221 here) and closest on total student enrollment (745,019 here). Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not geographic containment.
Similar estimated salary
Nearest other states by unweighted district-mean teacher pay (F-33 derived, ≥5 districts with reliable estimates).
Similar enrollment
Nearest other states by NCES-reported K-12 enrollment. Salary peers above are excluded.
Compare Nearby-Ranked States
Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2023. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.
Alabama teacher salary FAQ
What is the average teacher salary in Alabama?
Across 138 Alabama public school districts with reliable data, the average teacher salary is $68,221 (NCES CCD F-33 reported teacher salaries divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2023). It is a district-level mean derived from finance filings, so it will not match a contract-salary survey exactly, read it as a relative comparison.
Which Alabama school district pays teachers the most?
Limestone County reports the highest average teacher salary in Alabama at $118,952, while Choctaw County sits at the lower end at $57,436.
How does Alabama teacher pay compare to the national average?
Alabama's average of $68,221 is below the national average of $70,245 (-2.9%), ranking #21 of the 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate.
How many school districts are in Alabama?
Alabama has 138 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 745,019 students.
How much do teachers make in Alabama?
District-average teacher pay in Alabama runs from $57,436 in Choctaw County to $118,952 in Limestone County, with 1 of 138 reliable-data districts at $100,000 or above. Where a teacher lands depends far more on which district employs them than on the statewide figure. These are district-wide averages from NCES CCD F-33 (FY2023), not individual salaries or pay-scale steps.
Can teachers earn $100,000 in Alabama?
1 of 138 Alabama districts with reliable data report an estimated average teacher salary of $100,000 or more, led by Limestone County at $118,952. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.
How does Alabama rank after adjusting for cost of living?
Within the separate enrollment-weighted state comparison, BEA's 2023 Regional Price Parity (89.1, US=100) adjusts Alabama's nominal estimate of $68,705 from #26 to $77,113 and #21. The headline uses an unweighted district mean, so this does not replace it. Neither measure is take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.
Explore Alabama
Disclaimer & data sources
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher for Alabama
| Publisher | PlainTeacher |
| Sources | Public official public datasets |