State profile · NCES F-33 FY2022

Teacher Salary in Delaware

According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available across 19 public school districts in Delaware.

$87,434
Est. state avg salary
+2.0%
vs national
#16
National rank
19
Districts
$87,434/year (est.)

Delaware's estimated average teacher salary is $87,434, near the national average of $85,759, ranking #16 of 51 states and territories, across 19 public school districts (NCES CCD F-33, FY2022).

  • upper third nationally (#16 of 51)
  • $43,572 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • +2.0% vs the national average
  • +20.5% since FY2019
  • #13 of 51 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 98.0)

What does the NCES F-33 data show for Delaware?

Delaware reports 19 public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data FY2022 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, with an average teacher salary of $87,434. That places the state in the upper third of US teacher-pay rankings - #16 of 51, near the national average of $85,759 (+2.0%). The state's public schools serve 122,734 students across these districts. Most district figures divide total instructional spending by the district's REPORTED teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey); a small number of large consolidated districts that report staffing only at a sub-district level fall back to an estimated ratio instead, since total instructional spending also includes aides and assistants, both figures run somewhat above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, treat this as a relative cross-district comparison, not an exact paycheck, and see our methodology for the formula, its data source per district, and its limits.

Among enrolling districts, pay varies widely: Christina School District reports the highest estimated average salary at $108,771, while Brandywine School District sits at the lower end at $65,199 - a spread of $43,572 between top and bottom reporting districts. Licensing rules, state aid formulas, collective bargaining density, and local tax bases all drive this intra-state variation. Urban and suburban districts with larger tax bases typically lead, while rural districts often lag despite lower cost of living.

Teacher compensation here reflects both state policy choices, the statutory minimum salary schedule, pension funding levels, licensure reciprocity, and the funding formula that determines how much state aid each district receives per pupil. A #16 national rank signals where Delaware sits in the competition for teachers against neighboring states; teacher shortage areas typically correlate with lower pay rank. Figures below are per-district averages derived from the F-33 instructional salary expenditure field (Z33) divided by each district's reported teacher FTE (or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure), a district-level aggregate, not individual salary records.

Purchasing-power-adjusted rank

Delaware's nominal average teacher salary ranks #16 of 51 states and territories. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2022 Regional Price Parity (98.0, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $89,212, ranking #13 of 51 , 3 places higher than the nominal rank once relative price levels are factored in. 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.

$70,000$75,000$80,000$85,000$90,000$95,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022 $73,521 $88,576 ▲ +20.5%

Delaware's estimated average teacher salary, FY2019-FY2022

Source: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey (consistent estimated basis, all years) As of FY2022

Highest-paying districts in Delaware

Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)

Est. avg salary

What this shows Christina School District leads Delaware on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2022 As of FY2022

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Christina School District $108,771 13,397 $30,267
New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District $99,262 4,684 $21,824
Capital School District $97,354 6,384 $26,800
Sussex Technical School District $95,598 1,306 $22,088
Appoquinimink School District $93,444 12,466 $21,233
Smyrna School District $90,829 6,034 $15,860
Indian River School District $89,958 10,651 $21,100
Colonial School District $89,866 9,531 $21,668
POLYTECH School District $85,753 1,196 $22,518
Delmar School District $85,597 1,416 $12,331
Red Clay Consolidated School District $85,534 14,837 $23,101
Woodbridge School District $83,710 2,495 $18,180
Caesar Rodney School District $81,306 8,201 $18,245
Seaford School District $80,370 3,222 $18,856
Lake Forest School District $77,980 3,544 $16,957
Cape Henlopen School District $74,091 6,078 $25,178
Milford School District $73,597 4,325 $15,512
Laurel School District $71,891 2,566 $15,805
Brandywine School District $65,199 10,401 $21,794

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.

Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2022. 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.

Delaware teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in Delaware?

Across Delaware's 19 public school districts, the average teacher salary is $87,434 (NCES CCD F-33 finance data divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2022). This figure is derived from total instructional spending and runs above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, read it as a relative comparison.

Which Delaware school district pays teachers the most?

Christina School District reports the highest average teacher salary in Delaware at $108,771, while Brandywine School District sits at the lower end at $65,199.

How does Delaware teacher pay compare to the national average?

Delaware's average of $87,434 is near the national average of $85,759 (+2.0%), ranking #16 of 51 US states and territories.

How many school districts are in Delaware?

Delaware has 19 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 122,734 students.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in Delaware?

1 of 19 Delaware districts with reliable data report an estimated average teacher salary of $100,000 or more, led by Christina School District at $108,771. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does Delaware rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Adjusted by the BEA's 2022 Regional Price Parity (98.0, US=100), Delaware's purchasing-power-adjusted estimated teacher salary is $89,212, ranking #13 of 51 states and territories, higher than its #16 nominal-salary rank. This is a relative state-level price-level comparison, not take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher Editorial

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. Delaware's district figures are aggregated directly from each district's FY2022 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 FY2022.