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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2023

Teacher Salary in Missouri

Missouri sits in the lowest third of reporting jurisdictions at $52,299 (#43 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 Missouri.

$52,299
Est. state avg salary

Well below benchmark

-25.5%
vs national
#43
National rank
514
Districts

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$52,299/year (est.)

Missouri sits in the lowest third of reporting jurisdictions at $52,299 (#43 of 49). Estimated average teacher salary is $52,299, materially below the national average of $70,245, ranking #43 of 49, across 406 public school districts with reliable data (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third estimated pay: Missouri sits in the lowest third of reporting jurisdictions at $52,299 (#43 of 49).
  • lower third nationally (#43 of 49)
  • Missouri ranks #43 of 49 on the salary estimate and #18 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • $55,989 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • -25.5% vs the national average
  • +14.3% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (balanced cohort, not the FTE average above)
  • #39 of 49 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 91.1)

Missouri sits in the lower third for estimated pay

Across 406 reliable-salary districts, the average estimate is $52,299: #43 of 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate, and 25.5% below the national benchmark of $70,245.

The rank compares the same F-33-derived district measure nationwide. It does not include benefits, experience steps, taxes, or local living costs; use it as a relative state placement rather than an exact paycheck.

Missouri purchasing-power check on lower-third pay

Missouri's nominal average teacher salary ranks #43 of the 49 states and territories that report teacher salaries. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2023 Regional Price Parity (91.1, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $65,183, ranking #39 of 49 , 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. BEA Regional Price Parities · NCES CCD F-33

Missouri in the teacher-salary distribution

FY2023 estimated state averages from the same NCES-derived ranking

$52,299 12th percentile higher than 12% of 49 reporting states and territories

Show national distribution $0–$5,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 6 reporting states and territories (12%). This entry sits in this band. $55,000–$60,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 9 reporting states and territories (18%). Above this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 7 reporting states and territories (14%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 reporting states and territories (8%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $115,000–$120,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $120,000–$125,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. Missouri $0 $125,000 reporting state salary estimates, bucketed by value

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

Missouri's comparable salary trend

Same reporting-district cohort, FY2019-FY2023

FY2023 estimated average
$66,220 14.341686712622673% vs FY2019
494 districts held in the panel
$55,000$60,000$65,000$70,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023 Missouri est. avg teacher salary, FY2019: $57,914Missouri est. avg teacher salary, FY2020: $58,750Missouri est. avg teacher salary, FY2021: $62,359Missouri est. avg teacher salary, FY2022: $63,534Missouri est. avg teacher salary, FY2023: $66,220 $57,914 $66,220 ▲ +14.3%
Read the chart as text
Period Missouri est. avg teacher salary
FY2019 $57,914
FY2020 $58,750
FY2021 $62,359
FY2022 $63,534
FY2023 $66,220

Highest-paying districts in Missouri

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

Est. avg salary

What this shows Clayton leads Missouri 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, FY2023 As of FY2023

Top 3 districts

1 $94,417

Clayton

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $83,373

Kirkwood R-vii

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $79,768

Pattonville R-iii

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Clayton $94,417 2,351 $27,379
Kirkwood R-vii $83,373 6,175 $21,044
Pattonville R-iii $79,768 6,102 $17,627
Jennings $79,598 2,407 $13,550
Ladue $78,953 4,442 $29,624
Hancock Place $77,127 1,286 $20,925
Parkway C-2 $77,099 17,134 $17,143
New Bloomfield R-iii $75,277 665 $12,546
Brentwood $74,514 775 $36,741
Hazelwood $74,197 16,109 $15,839
Webster Groves $74,175 4,407 $16,305
St. Louis City $73,877 18,321 $24,843
Rockwood R-vi $73,643 20,563 $14,294
Ritenour $73,459 5,628 $16,089
Valley Park $73,389 803 $16,954
Lee's Summit R-vii $70,847 17,775 $19,337
Blue Springs R-iv $70,482 14,595 $19,218
University City $70,000 2,535 $20,759
Mehlville R-ix $69,273 10,076 $14,244
Festus R-vi $68,837 3,315 $10,479
Summersville R-ii $68,657 458 $12,380
Park Hill $68,209 11,976 $17,392
Francis Howell R-iii $67,950 17,124 $18,801
Affton 101 $67,751 2,608 $14,852
Fox C-6 $67,469 10,707 $14,669
Lindbergh Schools $67,324 7,456 $15,468
Carrollton R-vii $66,457 855 $14,062
Kearney R-i $66,294 3,561 $14,454
West Platte Co. R-ii $66,202 739 $19,135
North Kansas City 74 $65,729 20,561 $19,148
Orchard Farm R-v $65,690 2,376 $15,358
Pettis Co. R-v $65,485 317 $15,451
Bayless $64,434 1,798 $15,294
Ste. Genevieve Co. R-ii $64,376 1,815 $16,331
Knob Noster R-viii $64,328 1,905 $12,532
Meadville R-iv $64,136 228 $20,364
Mid-buchanan Co. R-v $63,980 865 $18,523
Rolla 31 $63,945 4,161 $16,499
Maplewood-richmond Heights $63,885 1,510 $24,292
St. Charles R-vi $63,854 4,836 $23,371
Ferguson-florissant R-ii $63,470 8,759 $17,246
Waynesville R-vi $63,332 6,155 $14,522
Wentzville R-iv $63,103 17,997 $14,377
Bradleyville R-i $62,645 224 $14,183
School of the Osage $62,375 2,063 $15,141
Grandview C-4 $62,135 3,689 $22,536
Liberty 53 $61,883 12,367 $14,232
Platte Co. R-iii $61,875 4,283 $24,845
Raytown C-2 $61,848 8,012 $17,676
Fort Osage R-i $61,472 4,846 $17,633
Hannibal 60 $60,655 3,406 $15,741
Northwest R-i $60,641 5,969 $12,237
Kansas City 33 $60,514 14,413 $20,267
Richland R-i $60,400 267 $17,588
Ft. Zumwalt R-ii $60,352 17,060 $15,219
Desoto 73 $60,197 2,543 $13,276
Windsor C-1 $59,824 2,953 $12,651
Belton 124 $59,685 4,342 $16,685
Forsyth R-iii $59,438 1,305 $13,621
Pleasant Hill R-iii $59,222 2,197 $15,285
Chillicothe R-ii $59,118 1,809 $14,306
Meramec Valley R-iii $59,094 3,047 $16,410
Springfield R-xii $58,777 22,937 $17,820
Cassville R-iv $58,702 1,908 $12,723
Marceline R-v $58,320 658 $12,375
Union R-xi $58,007 3,159 $13,453
Central R-iii $57,751 2,040 $12,449
Lafayette Co. C-1 $57,671 980 $14,927
Troy R-iii $57,584 6,974 $16,174
Independence 30 $57,578 14,406 $15,399
Bolivar R-i $57,537 2,777 $13,911
Potosi R-iii $56,928 2,036 $11,828
Clinton $56,808 1,835 $13,566
Mt. Vernon R-v $56,739 1,528 $12,099
Logan-rogersville R-viii $56,687 2,471 $16,461
Sikeston R-6 $56,654 3,307 $15,426
Raymore-peculiar R-ii $56,568 6,377 $19,534
Harrisonville R-ix $56,381 2,207 $17,691
Carthage R-ix $56,367 5,092 $13,259
Specl. Sch. Dst. St. Louis Co. $56,363 4,148 N/A
Scott City R-i $56,354 755 $23,894
St. Joseph $56,347 10,568 $14,860
Hillsboro R-iii $56,271 3,289 $12,253
Columbia 93 $56,152 18,800 $16,732
Lathrop R-ii $56,120 929 $12,857
Smithville R-ii $56,037 2,584 $14,889
Oak Grove R-vi $55,963 1,960 $12,416
Putnam Co. R-i $55,903 654 $15,142
Wright City R-ii of Warren Co. $55,856 1,769 $19,391
Mexico 59 $55,759 2,462 $12,678
Lawson R-xiv $55,685 1,090 $16,047
Camdenton R-iii $55,652 3,910 $15,422
Brookfield R-iii $55,622 877 $16,368
Normandy Schools Collaborative $55,499 2,894 $24,084
North Platte Co. R-i $55,497 590 $13,344
Crawford Co. R-i $55,487 860 $13,128
Portageville $55,463 668 $16,320
Center 58 $55,288 2,558 $18,809
Monett R-i $55,211 2,314 $20,376
South Holt Co. R-i $55,148 280 $15,164

Showing 1–100 of 406 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 Missouri

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Lincoln R-ii $38,429 513
Climax Springs R-iv $38,980 222
Humansville R-iv $39,721 368
North Wood R-iv $39,763 215
Naylor R-ii $39,918 379
Twin Rivers R-x $40,269 827
Laquey R-v $40,397 788
Atlanta C-3 $40,727 203
Grandview R-ii $40,849 2,387
Doniphan R-i $40,856 1,558

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

Nationwide peers near Missouri's lower-third pay

Two nationwide peer sets for Missouri: closest on estimated average teacher salary ($52,299 here) and closest on total student enrollment (865,636 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

Kentucky
$56,482
Rank #40
West Virginia
$53,845
Rank #41
Indiana
$52,427
Rank #42
Texas
$51,478
Rank #44

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.

Missouri teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in Missouri?

Across 406 Missouri public school districts with reliable data, the average teacher salary is $52,299 (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 Missouri school district pays teachers the most?

Clayton reports the highest average teacher salary in Missouri at $94,417, while Lincoln R-ii sits at the lower end at $38,429.

How does Missouri teacher pay compare to the national average?

Missouri's average of $52,299 is materially below the national average of $70,245 (-25.5%), ranking #43 of the 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate.

How many school districts are in Missouri?

Missouri has 514 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 865,636 students.

How much do teachers make in Missouri?

District-average teacher pay in Missouri sits in a comparatively narrow band, from $38,429 in Lincoln R-ii to $94,417 in Clayton. With that little district-to-district spread the statewide figure is a reasonable guide to what most districts pay. These are district-wide averages from NCES CCD F-33 (FY2023), not individual salaries or pay-scale steps.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in Missouri?

No Missouri district with reliable data reports an estimated average teacher salary at or above $100,000; the state's highest is Clayton at $94,417. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does Missouri rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Within the separate enrollment-weighted state comparison, BEA's 2023 Regional Price Parity (91.1, US=100) adjusts Missouri's nominal estimate of $59,384 from #40 to $65,183 and #39. 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 Missouri

Disclaimer & data sources

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