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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2022

Teacher Salary in Michigan

According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available across 577 public school districts in Michigan.

$74,751
Est. state avg salary
-12.8%
vs national
#33
National rank
577
Districts
$74,751/year (est.)

Michigan's estimated average teacher salary is $74,751, materially below the national average of $85,759, ranking #33 of 51 states and territories, across 577 public school districts (NCES CCD F-33, FY2022).

  • middle third nationally (#33 of 51)
  • $76,742 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • -12.8% vs the national average
  • +14.6% since FY2019
  • #29 of 51 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 93.6)

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

Michigan reports 577 public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data FY2022 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, with an average teacher salary of $74,751. That places the state in the middle third of US teacher-pay rankings - #33 of 51, materially below the national average of $85,759 (-12.8%). The state's public schools serve 1,245,711 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: Ecorse Public Schools reports the highest estimated average salary at $113,891, while Bentley Community School District sits at the lower end at $37,148 - a spread of $76,742 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 #33 national rank signals where Michigan 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

Michigan's nominal average teacher salary ranks #33 of 51 states and territories. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2022 Regional Price Parity (93.6, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $79,872, ranking #29 of 51 , 4 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.

$50,000$55,000$60,000$65,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022 $55,471 $63,596 ▲ +14.6%

Michigan'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 Michigan

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

Est. avg salary

What this shows Ecorse Public Schools leads Michigan 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

Top 3 districts

1 $113,891

Ecorse Public Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $106,992

Brighton Area Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $103,420

Macomb ISD

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Ecorse Public Schools $113,891 1,124 $22,651
Brighton Area Schools $106,992 5,792 $21,184
Macomb ISD $103,420 1,045 N/A
Berkley School District $99,654 3,899 $20,512
Redford Union Schools District No. 1 $99,366 2,040 $23,440
Kalamazoo RESA $99,233 384 N/A
Carrollton Public Schools $92,789 1,687 $16,827
Warren Consolidated Schools $92,726 12,610 $17,661
Ottawa Area ISD $92,484 243 N/A
Bloomfield Hills Schools $92,026 5,108 $33,777
Berrien RESA $91,925 273 N/A
Calhoun Intermediate School District $90,207 271 N/A
Jackson ISD $89,924 368 N/A
Crestwood School District $89,799 3,914 $15,307
Grosse Pointe Public Schools $89,556 6,548 $23,826
Lincoln Park School District of the City of $89,140 4,841 $20,827
Southgate Community School District $88,784 3,234 $21,615
Ludington Area School District $87,728 2,065 $20,349
Birmingham Public Schools $87,567 7,151 $26,500
Godwin Heights Public Schools $87,468 2,010 $20,010
Southfield Public School District $87,268 4,815 $21,894
Dearborn City School District $87,189 20,073 $17,667
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools $87,095 11,907 $21,783
Northville Public Schools $87,086 7,047 $19,100
Chippewa Valley Schools $87,035 14,967 $14,875
Kent ISD $86,592 516 N/A
Mio-AuSable Schools $86,506 488 $16,580
Fremont Public School District $85,904 2,035 $14,563
Utica Community Schools $84,902 25,761 $13,893
Fulton Schools $84,824 557 $21,601
Lakeview Public Schools (Macomb) $84,549 4,090 $16,137
Rochester Community School District $84,350 14,777 $15,134
Big Rapids Public Schools $84,266 2,188 $14,460
Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools $83,974 485 $19,672
Mona Shores Public School District $83,954 3,829 $23,759
Jackson Public Schools $83,777 4,383 $22,279
Gaylord Community Schools $83,566 2,814 $14,400
New Buffalo Area Schools $83,327 554 $36,652
Sparta Area Schools $83,305 2,402 $17,127
Newaygo Public School District $83,202 1,547 $13,076
Washtenaw ISD $83,069 1,467 N/A
Oak Park School District of the City of $82,466 3,612 $18,604
Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools $82,409 3,914 $14,168
Holland City School District $82,234 2,924 $18,608
Grosse Ile Township Schools $82,060 1,659 $14,156
Berrien Springs Public Schools $81,930 3,734 $19,109
Taylor School District $81,732 5,483 $16,762
Wyandotte School District of the City of $81,641 4,395 $20,285
Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools $81,614 640 $15,070
Forest Hills Public Schools $81,499 9,291 $16,634
Lamphere Public Schools $81,444 2,261 $18,868
Allen Park Public Schools $81,405 3,686 $15,319
Dearborn Heights School District #7 $81,108 2,449 $12,887
Chippewa Hills School District $81,094 1,857 $14,887
Warren Woods Public Schools $81,080 3,084 $18,073
Detroit Public Schools Community District $81,004 48,188 $22,389
L'Anse Creuse Public Schools $81,000 9,642 $14,410
South Redford School District $80,889 3,015 $18,388
Kalamazoo Public Schools $80,866 12,311 $17,425
Harper Woods The School District of the City of $80,855 2,599 $13,643
Wyoming Public Schools $80,726 3,903 $19,465
Dundee Community Schools $80,552 1,790 $12,797
Spring Lake Public Schools $80,527 2,374 $15,094
Hamtramck School District of the City of $80,209 3,116 $17,378
Glen Lake Community Schools $80,081 674 $27,042
Clarkston Community School District $80,022 7,578 $16,369
Howell Public Schools $80,011 6,910 $14,536
Livonia Public Schools School District $79,950 13,132 $17,859
Farmington Public School District $79,807 8,799 $19,585
Leland Public School District $79,685 453 $25,152
Frankenmuth School District $79,671 1,341 $17,643
Onaway Area Community School District $79,665 532 $14,754
Vassar Public Schools $79,652 916 $17,128
DeWitt Public Schools $79,618 3,116 $13,057
Troy School District $79,469 11,753 $17,527
Branch ISD $79,320 241 N/A
Kelloggsville Public Schools $79,272 2,223 $20,825
Woodhaven-Brownstown School District $79,178 5,338 $17,738
Hudsonville Public School District $79,024 6,805 $20,239
Coldwater Community Schools $78,957 2,801 $13,740
Saline Area Schools $78,898 4,834 $18,157
East China School District $78,895 3,781 $17,311
Marion Public Schools $78,884 433 $18,002
Clawson Public Schools $78,800 1,286 $19,503
Bay City School District $78,768 6,732 $15,225
Napoleon Community Schools $78,659 1,279 $12,654
Melvindale-North Allen Park Schools $78,530 2,955 $16,278
Northview Public Schools $78,431 3,069 $19,090
Grand Haven Area Public Schools $78,423 5,505 $15,480
Midland Public Schools $78,421 7,479 $15,198
Zeeland Public Schools $78,415 6,084 $16,393
West Ottawa Public School District $78,349 6,516 $20,164
Riverview Community School District $78,201 2,842 $15,240
River Rouge School District of the City of $78,051 2,470 $14,577
Inland Lakes Schools $77,972 601 $15,845
Union City Community Schools $77,831 981 $13,883
Lincoln Consolidated School District $77,722 3,286 $19,304
Brown City Community Schools $77,650 715 $17,052
Fairview Area School District $77,595 302 $13,954
Wayland Union Schools $77,542 2,825 $14,136

Showing 1–100 of 512 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 Michigan

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Bentley Community School District $37,148 783
Houghton Lake Community Schools $42,264 1,191
Alcona Community Schools $43,442 690
Carney-Nadeau Public Schools $46,860 280
Whiteford Agricultural School District of the Counties of Le $47,150 786
Bangor Township Schools $47,637 2,552
Eastpointe Community Schools $47,731 2,367
Fitzgerald Public Schools $47,875 2,175
Walkerville Public Schools $48,166 302
Essexville-Hampton Public Schools $49,370 1,538

Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

North Carolina
$76,187
Rank #30
Georgia
$75,303
Rank #31
Texas
$74,920
Rank #32
Montana
$73,667
Rank #34

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.

Michigan teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in Michigan?

Across Michigan's 577 public school districts, the average teacher salary is $74,751 (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 Michigan school district pays teachers the most?

Ecorse Public Schools reports the highest average teacher salary in Michigan at $113,891, while Bentley Community School District sits at the lower end at $37,148.

How does Michigan teacher pay compare to the national average?

Michigan's average of $74,751 is materially below the national average of $85,759 (-12.8%), ranking #33 of 51 US states and territories.

How many school districts are in Michigan?

Michigan has 577 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 1,245,711 students.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in Michigan?

3 of 512 Michigan districts with reliable data report an estimated average teacher salary of $100,000 or more, led by Ecorse Public Schools at $113,891. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does Michigan rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Adjusted by the BEA's 2022 Regional Price Parity (93.6, US=100), Michigan's purchasing-power-adjusted estimated teacher salary is $79,872, ranking #29 of 51 states and territories, higher than its #33 nominal-salary rank. This is a relative state-level price-level comparison, not take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Related

All states → | Rankings → | Compare districts →
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. Michigan'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.