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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2022

Teacher Salary in Minnesota

According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available across 352 public school districts in Minnesota.

$103,100
Est. state avg salary
+20.2%
vs national
#8
National rank
352
Districts
$103,100/year (est.)

Minnesota's estimated average teacher salary is $103,100, meaningfully above the national average of $85,759, ranking #8 of 51 states and territories, across 352 public school districts (NCES CCD F-33, FY2022).

  • top decile nationally (#8 of 51)
  • $108,081 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • +20.2% vs the national average
  • +11.4% since FY2019
  • #5 of 51 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 97.5)

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

Minnesota reports 352 public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data FY2022 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, with an average teacher salary of $103,100. That places the state in the top decile of US teacher-pay rankings - #8 of 51, meaningfully above the national average of $85,759 (+20.2%). The state's public schools serve 797,032 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: Northeast Metro 916 reports the highest estimated average salary at $166,887, while Round Lake-brewster Public Schools sits at the lower end at $58,806 - a spread of $108,081 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 #8 national rank signals where Minnesota 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

Minnesota's nominal average teacher salary ranks #8 of 51 states and territories. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2022 Regional Price Parity (97.5, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $105,791, ranking #5 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.

$75,000$80,000$85,000$90,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022 $78,685 $87,670 ▲ +11.4%

Minnesota'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 Minnesota

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

Est. avg salary

What this shows Northeast Metro 916 leads Minnesota 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 $166,887

Northeast Metro 916

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $157,378

Southwest Metro Intermediate 288

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $154,353

Minnewaska School District

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Perham-dent Public School District $91,363 1,572 $15,476
Crookston Public School District $91,200 1,158 $15,909
Brandon-evansville Public Schools $91,199 524 $25,219
Mankato Public School District $91,104 8,640 $17,270
Red Wing Public School District $91,053 2,481 $18,266
Brainerd Public School District $91,045 6,306 $23,936
Lake of the Woods School District $90,653 473 $18,455
Blackduck Public School District $90,631 690 $15,884
GFW Public Schools $90,607 624 $17,612
Princeton Public School District $90,589 3,234 $13,934
Mcgregor Public School District $90,538 457 $34,444
Willmar Public School District $90,498 4,332 $16,678
Mora Public School District $90,320 1,607 $31,958
Dawson-boyd Public School District $90,305 557 $37,013
Lanesboro Public School District $90,027 417 $17,655
Fosston Public School District $89,864 591 $17,604
Kelliher Public School District $89,781 297 $26,189
St. Clair Public School District $89,663 762 $13,047
Rock Ridge Public Schools $89,613 2,501 $47,595
Hutchinson Public School District $89,466 2,756 $20,083
Wheaton Area Public School District $89,363 379 $19,683
Hermantown Public School District $89,248 2,098 $13,583
Greenway Public School District $88,817 1,066 $17,730
Pine City Public School District $88,763 1,572 $18,009
Mesabi East School District $88,609 904 $18,835
Barnesville Public School Dist. $88,586 898 $26,635
Litchfield Public School District $88,174 1,527 $25,517
Park Rapids Public School District $87,927 1,744 $16,628
Glenville-emmons School District $87,915 208 $21,221
Pine Island Public School District $87,898 1,493 $15,778
Belle Plaine Public School District $87,895 1,578 $14,354
Farmington Public School District $87,615 6,909 $15,796
Westbrook-walnut Grove Schools $87,588 454 $17,775
United South Central Schools $87,475 756 $16,263
Waseca Public School District $87,371 1,783 $16,763
St. Peter Public School District $87,225 2,094 $17,916
Byron Public School District $87,020 2,278 $14,008
Morris Area Public Schools $86,974 1,046 $16,519
Chisholm Public School District $86,562 688 $16,453
East Central School District $86,560 779 $16,647
Hawley Public School District $86,471 1,007 $14,086
Spring Lake Park Public Schools $86,435 6,187 $14,649
Deer River Public School District $86,277 901 $22,375
Delano Public School District $86,186 2,429 $14,727
Spring Grove School District $86,063 345 $16,400
Medford Public School District $86,031 900 $12,248
Fairmont Area School District $85,889 1,788 $19,786
Nashwauk-keewatin School District $85,882 599 $19,017
Minneota Public School District $85,718 520 $14,990
Braham Public School District $85,624 734 $16,131
Milaca Public School District $85,581 1,673 $13,859
Breckenridge Public School District $85,570 638 $15,939
Detroit Lakes Public School Dist. $85,390 2,805 $19,087
Sibley East School District $85,302 1,050 $15,690
Hinckley-finlayson School District $85,298 1,008 $15,903
Dassel-Cokato Public Schools $85,195 2,147 $14,115
Cass Lake-bena Public Schools $84,950 1,165 $26,386
International Falls School District $84,751 899 $17,439
Annandale Public School District $84,638 2,057 $14,121
Lakeview School District $84,413 647 $22,912
Renville County West Schools $84,411 585 $15,814
Cook County Public Schools $84,306 431 $21,439
Fertile-beltrami School District $84,305 488 $14,621
Mountain Iron-buhl School District $83,832 560 $19,582
Littlefork-big Falls School Dist. $83,775 338 $18,624
Pequot Lakes Public Schools $83,744 1,771 $14,211
Hancock Public School District $83,390 424 $14,172
Osakis Public School District $83,354 856 $14,951
Howard Lake-waverly-winsted $83,270 1,264 $16,430
Heron Lake-okabena School District $83,264 324 $17,991
Dilworth-glyndon-felton $83,264 1,589 $25,517
Crosby-ironton Public School Dist. $83,221 1,007 $22,429
Sauk Rapids-rice Public Schools $83,166 4,364 $20,104
Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Schools $83,106 699 $23,815
Battle Lake Public School District $82,615 404 $15,903
Mountain Lake Public Schools $82,211 502 $20,173
Bagley Public School District $82,201 935 $18,340
Greenbush-middle River School Dist. $82,145 229 $22,795
Tri-city United School District $82,128 1,929 $14,833
Isle Public School District $81,882 434 $17,516
Mahnomen Public School District $81,832 701 $17,926
Ulen-hitterdal Public School Dist $81,814 279 $22,215
Clearbrook-gonvick School District $81,473 447 $18,743
Kenyon-wanamingo School District $81,447 659 $18,639
Ada-Borup-West Public Schools $81,254 712 $17,865
Southland Public School District $81,231 410 $18,576
New London-spicer School District $81,200 1,550 $14,676
Martin County West School District $81,009 674 $16,745
St. Louis County School District $81,007 2,014 $21,082
Eden Valley-watkins School District $80,950 926 $14,089
Windom Public School District $80,878 1,153 $17,177
Janesville-waldorf-pemberton $80,868 704 $23,854
Rocori Public School District $80,752 2,374 $14,925
Lake Crystal-wellcome Memorial $80,716 959 $14,627
Walker-hackensack-akeley Schl. Dist $80,652 756 $19,299
Ely Public School District $80,453 508 $44,435
Menahga Public School District $80,373 989 $13,429
Thief River Falls School District $80,351 1,853 $15,894
Belgrade-brooten-elrosa School Dist $80,210 629 $29,367
East Grand Forks Public School Dist $80,072 1,949 $16,577

Showing 101–200 of 309 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 Minnesota

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Round Lake-brewster Public Schools $58,806 432
Yellow Medicine East $59,815 647
Butterfield Public School District $60,060 226
Hills-beaver Creek School District $60,543 367
Norman County East School District $61,007 209
Rothsay Public School District $61,330 309
Wabasha-Kellogg School District $62,489 899
Cleveland Public School District $62,653 559
Pillager Public School District $62,930 1,228
Laporte Public School District $64,136 333

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

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

Connecticut
$106,216
Rank #5
Massachusetts
$105,323
Rank #6
Alaska
$104,540
Rank #7
Maryland
$101,110
Rank #9

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.

Minnesota teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in Minnesota?

Across Minnesota's 352 public school districts, the average teacher salary is $103,100 (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 Minnesota school district pays teachers the most?

Northeast Metro 916 reports the highest average teacher salary in Minnesota at $166,887, while Round Lake-brewster Public Schools sits at the lower end at $58,806.

How does Minnesota teacher pay compare to the national average?

Minnesota's average of $103,100 is meaningfully above the national average of $85,759 (+20.2%), ranking #8 of 51 US states and territories.

How many school districts are in Minnesota?

Minnesota has 352 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 797,032 students.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in Minnesota?

66 of 309 Minnesota districts with reliable data report an estimated average teacher salary of $100,000 or more, led by Northeast Metro 916 at $166,887. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does Minnesota rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Adjusted by the BEA's 2022 Regional Price Parity (97.5, US=100), Minnesota's purchasing-power-adjusted estimated teacher salary is $105,791, ranking #5 of 51 states and territories, higher than its #8 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. Minnesota'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.