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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2023

Teacher Salary in Washington

Washington's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (4.28x) ranks #2 of 47, upper-third dispersion. 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 Washington.

$88,556
Est. state avg salary

Well above benchmark

+26.1%
vs national
#6
National rank
294
Districts

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$88,556/year (est.)

Washington's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (4.28x) ranks #2 of 47, upper-third dispersion. Estimated average teacher salary is $88,556, meaningfully above the national average of $70,245, ranking #6 of 49, across 229 public school districts with reliable data (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Wide district pay spread: Washington's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (4.28x) ranks #2 of 47, upper-third dispersion.
  • upper third nationally (#6 of 49)
  • Washington ranks #6 of 49 on the salary estimate and #12 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • $101,190 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • #2 of 47 states for pay dispersion (widest decile, 4.28x top/bottom ratio)
  • +26.1% vs the national average
  • +21.1% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (balanced cohort, not the FTE average above)
  • #6 of 49 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 108.4)

The distinguishing axis

How wide is the district pay spread in Washington?

Lopez School District sits at $132,000 and Quillayute Valley School District at $30,810 among reliable-salary districts. That 4.28x top-to-bottom ratio ranks #2 of 47 comparable states, in the widest decile.

This describes the observed F-33 distribution, not why it exists. The comparison excludes service agencies and states with fewer than five reliable district estimates; see the dispersion method.

Washington purchasing-power check on upper-third pay

Washington's nominal average teacher salary ranks #6 of the 49 states and territories that report teacher salaries. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2023 Regional Price Parity (108.4, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $91,089, ranking #6 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

Washington in the teacher-salary distribution

FY2023 estimated state averages from the same NCES-derived ranking

$88,556 Top 12% higher than 88% 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%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 9 reporting states and territories (18%). Below this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 7 reporting states and territories (14%). Below this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Below this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 reporting states and territories (8%). Below this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Below this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Washington $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

Washington's comparable salary trend

Same reporting-district cohort, FY2019-FY2023

FY2023 estimated average
$85,354 21.142613615699766% vs FY2019
258 districts held in the panel
$65,000$70,000$75,000$80,000$85,000$90,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023 Washington est. avg teacher salary, FY2019: $70,458Washington est. avg teacher salary, FY2020: $72,252Washington est. avg teacher salary, FY2021: $77,370Washington est. avg teacher salary, FY2022: $80,486Washington est. avg teacher salary, FY2023: $85,354 $70,458 $85,354 ▲ +21.1%
Read the chart as text
Period Washington est. avg teacher salary
FY2019 $70,458
FY2020 $72,252
FY2021 $77,370
FY2022 $80,486
FY2023 $85,354

Highest-paying districts in Washington

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

Est. avg salary

What this shows Lopez School District leads Washington 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 $132,000

Lopez School District

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $123,009

Everett School District

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $122,133

Shoreline School District

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Waitsburg School District $75,474 300 $19,600
Ritzville School District $74,495 362 $19,762
Cheney School District $74,134 5,540 $15,928
Oroville School District $74,069 530 $21,762
Crescent School District $74,069 336 $19,089
Pullman School District $73,931 2,740 $17,309
Newport School District $73,928 1,091 $17,232
Northport School District $73,655 283 $19,428
Waterville School District $73,563 232 $28,539
Adna School District $73,480 648 $20,387
Valley School District $73,146 1,079 $15,122
Winlock School District $72,930 858 $18,019
Pomeroy School District $72,497 351 $20,712
Grand Coulee Dam School District $71,922 771 $19,294
Darrington School District $71,759 446 $20,601
Mabton School District $71,505 771 $21,209
Davenport School District $70,748 615 $19,402
Kalama School District $70,476 1,151 $19,785
Morton School District $70,234 459 $20,011
Reardan-Edwall School District $69,147 671 $19,852
Cusick School District $68,458 356 $18,680
Grapeview School District $68,207 241 $17,896
Colville School District $68,099 1,685 $16,136
Wahkiakum School District $67,411 431 $21,749
Selkirk School District $66,868 263 $21,498
Curlew School District $63,982 249 $27,149
Oakville School District $57,620 341 $35,103
Goldendale School District $31,031 2,976 $14,291
Quillayute Valley School District $30,810 2,473 $20,422

Showing 201–229 of 229 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 Washington

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Quillayute Valley School District $30,810 2,473
Goldendale School District $31,031 2,976
Oakville School District $57,620 341
Curlew School District $63,982 249
Selkirk School District $66,868 263
Wahkiakum School District $67,411 431
Colville School District $68,099 1,685
Grapeview School District $68,207 241
Cusick School District $68,458 356
Reardan-Edwall School District $69,147 671

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

Nationwide peers near Washington's large K-12 scale

Two nationwide peer sets for Washington: closest on estimated average teacher salary ($88,556 here) and closest on total student enrollment (1,084,290 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

Delaware
$92,029
Rank #3
New York
$89,760
Rank #4
Rhode Island
$89,674
Rank #5
New Hampshire
$87,877
Rank #7

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.

Washington teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in Washington?

Across 229 Washington public school districts with reliable data, the average teacher salary is $88,556 (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 Washington school district pays teachers the most?

Lopez School District reports the highest average teacher salary in Washington at $132,000, while Quillayute Valley School District sits at the lower end at $30,810.

How does Washington teacher pay compare to the national average?

Washington's average of $88,556 is meaningfully above the national average of $70,245 (+26.1%), ranking #6 of the 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate.

How many school districts are in Washington?

Washington has 294 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 1,083,523 students.

How much do teachers make in Washington?

District-average teacher pay in Washington runs from $30,810 in Quillayute Valley School District to $132,000 in Lopez School District, with 39 of 229 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 Washington?

39 of 229 Washington districts with reliable data report an estimated average teacher salary of $100,000 or more, led by Lopez School District at $132,000. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does Washington rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Within the separate enrollment-weighted state comparison, BEA's 2023 Regional Price Parity (108.4, US=100) adjusts Washington's nominal estimate of $98,713 from #4 to $91,089 and #6. 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 Washington

Disclaimer & data sources

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