State profile · NCES F-33 FY2023
Teacher Salary in West Virginia
West Virginia's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (1.45x) ranks #44 of 47, lower-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 West Virginia.
- $53,845
- Est. state avg salary
- -23.3%
- vs national
- #41
- National rank
- 55
- Districts
Well below benchmark
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West Virginia's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (1.45x) ranks #44 of 47, lower-third dispersion. Estimated average teacher salary is $53,845, materially below the national average of $70,245, ranking #41 of 49, across 55 public school districts with reliable data (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Tight district pay band: West Virginia's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (1.45x) ranks #44 of 47, lower-third dispersion.
- lower third nationally (#41 of 49)
- West Virginia ranks #41 of 49 on the salary estimate and #38 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- $21,057 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
- #44 of 47 states for pay dispersion (narrowest decile, 1.45x top/bottom ratio)
- -23.3% vs the national average
- +18.1% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (balanced cohort, not the FTE average above)
- #41 of 49 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 89.6)
The distinguishing axis
How wide is the district pay spread in West Virginia?
Brooke County Schools sits at $67,484 and Grant County Schools at $46,426 among reliable-salary districts. That 1.45x top-to-bottom ratio ranks #44 of 47 comparable states, in the narrowest 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.
West Virginia purchasing-power check on lower-third pay
West Virginia's nominal average teacher salary ranks #41 of the 49 states and territories that report teacher salaries. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2023 Regional Price Parity (89.6, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $61,688, ranking #41 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
West Virginia in the teacher-salary distribution
FY2023 estimated state averages from the same NCES-derived ranking
$53,845 16th percentile higher than 16% of 49 reporting states and territories
Show national distribution
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
West Virginia's comparable salary trend
Same reporting-district cohort, FY2019-FY2023
- FY2023 estimated average
- $61,854 18.087409682964132% vs FY2019
- 53 districts held in the panel
Read the chart as text
| Period | West Virginia est. avg teacher salary |
|---|---|
| FY2019 | $52,380 |
| FY2020 | $55,645 |
| FY2021 | $57,568 |
| FY2022 | $58,467 |
| FY2023 | $61,854 |
Highest-paying districts in West Virginia
Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)
-
$67,484 Est. avg salary
-
$64,556 Est. avg salary
-
$63,425 Est. avg salary
-
$61,799 Est. avg salary
-
$61,301 Est. avg salary
-
$60,238 Est. avg salary
-
$59,332 Est. avg salary
-
$58,831 Est. avg salary
-
$58,045 Est. avg salary
-
$57,739 Est. avg salary
What this shows Brooke County Schools leads West Virginia on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.
Top 3 districts
Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary
| District | Est. Avg Salary | Enrollment | Per-Pupil Exp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooke County Schools | $67,484 | 2,479 | $17,237 |
| Doddridge County Schools | $64,556 | 1,119 | $25,386 |
| Ohio County Schools | $63,425 | 4,953 | $19,149 |
| Kanawha County Schools | $61,799 | 23,864 | $18,248 |
| Tyler County Schools | $61,301 | 1,257 | $28,768 |
| Monongalia County Schools | $60,238 | 11,297 | $15,176 |
| Greenbrier County Schools | $59,332 | 4,702 | $16,618 |
| Putnam County Schools | $58,831 | 8,993 | $14,928 |
| Marshall County Schools | $58,045 | 4,239 | $21,268 |
| Gilmer County Schools | $57,739 | 792 | $20,960 |
| Wayne County Schools | $57,589 | 6,240 | $15,335 |
| Marion County Schools | $57,351 | 7,406 | $15,141 |
| Lewis County Schools | $56,299 | 2,403 | $14,614 |
| Cabell County Schools | $56,165 | 11,473 | $18,186 |
| Fayette County Schools | $56,036 | 5,613 | $16,415 |
| Hancock County Schools | $55,744 | 3,497 | $16,248 |
| Logan County Schools | $55,479 | 5,190 | $15,692 |
| Boone County Schools | $54,602 | 3,188 | $16,340 |
| Mercer County Schools | $54,366 | 8,686 | $15,279 |
| Raleigh County Schools | $54,343 | 10,867 | $16,588 |
| Mingo County Schools | $54,114 | 3,719 | $15,290 |
| Pocahontas County Schools | $53,747 | 893 | $20,711 |
| Wetzel County Schools | $53,737 | 2,258 | $24,275 |
| Wood County Schools | $53,639 | 11,663 | $15,392 |
| Randolph County Schools | $53,520 | 3,638 | $13,600 |
| Morgan County Schools | $53,458 | 2,183 | $14,709 |
| Berkeley County Schools | $53,411 | 19,856 | $13,406 |
| Monroe County Schools | $53,375 | 1,651 | $17,655 |
| Preston County Schools | $53,134 | 4,090 | $13,374 |
| Lincoln County Schools | $52,917 | 2,942 | $16,142 |
| Harrison County Schools | $52,613 | 9,920 | $15,230 |
| Jackson County Schools | $52,317 | 4,135 | $15,951 |
| Mason County Schools | $52,295 | 3,788 | $15,078 |
| Jefferson County Schools | $52,150 | 8,389 | $15,581 |
| Mineral County Schools | $52,035 | 4,023 | $16,786 |
| Wyoming County Schools | $51,935 | 3,609 | $17,003 |
| Taylor County Schools | $51,907 | 2,213 | $15,999 |
| Tucker County Schools | $51,670 | 961 | $16,191 |
| Braxton County Schools | $51,639 | 1,726 | $14,657 |
| Webster County Schools | $51,465 | 1,192 | $15,888 |
| Wirt County Schools | $51,392 | 927 | $18,373 |
| Upshur County Schools | $51,028 | 3,776 | $13,691 |
| Ritchie County Schools | $50,533 | 1,243 | $20,468 |
| Pendleton County Schools | $50,183 | 867 | $20,757 |
| Pleasants County Schools | $50,000 | 1,086 | $18,608 |
| Barbour County Board of Education | $49,828 | 2,157 | $12,795 |
| Nicholas County Schools | $49,762 | 3,484 | $15,342 |
| Clay County Schools | $49,587 | 1,632 | $16,032 |
| Hampshire County Schools | $49,138 | 2,801 | $18,956 |
| Mcdowell County Schools | $48,805 | 2,537 | $18,407 |
| Roane County Schools | $48,202 | 1,795 | $19,944 |
| Hardy County Schools | $47,307 | 2,194 | $13,796 |
| Summers County Schools | $46,907 | 1,318 | $19,458 |
| Calhoun County Schools | $46,578 | 864 | $19,216 |
| Grant County Schools | $46,426 | 1,615 | $14,464 |
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 West Virginia
| District | Est. Avg Salary | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Grant County Schools | $46,426 | 1,615 |
| Calhoun County Schools | $46,578 | 864 |
| Summers County Schools | $46,907 | 1,318 |
| Hardy County Schools | $47,307 | 2,194 |
| Roane County Schools | $48,202 | 1,795 |
| Mcdowell County Schools | $48,805 | 2,537 |
| Hampshire County Schools | $49,138 | 2,801 |
| Clay County Schools | $49,587 | 1,632 |
| Nicholas County Schools | $49,762 | 3,484 |
| Barbour County Board of Education | $49,828 | 2,157 |
Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.
Nationwide peers near West Virginia's smaller K-12 scale
Two nationwide peer sets for West Virginia: closest on estimated average teacher salary ($53,845 here) and closest on total student enrollment (249,403 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
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.
West Virginia teacher salary FAQ
What is the average teacher salary in West Virginia?
Across 55 West Virginia public school districts with reliable data, the average teacher salary is $53,845 (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 West Virginia school district pays teachers the most?
Brooke County Schools reports the highest average teacher salary in West Virginia at $67,484, while Grant County Schools sits at the lower end at $46,426.
How does West Virginia teacher pay compare to the national average?
West Virginia's average of $53,845 is materially below the national average of $70,245 (-23.3%), ranking #41 of the 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate.
How many school districts are in West Virginia?
West Virginia has 55 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 249,403 students.
How much do teachers make in West Virginia?
District-average teacher pay in West Virginia sits in a comparatively narrow band, from $46,426 in Grant County Schools to $67,484 in Brooke County Schools. 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 West Virginia?
No West Virginia district with reliable data reports an estimated average teacher salary at or above $100,000; the state's highest is Brooke County Schools at $67,484. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.
How does West Virginia rank after adjusting for cost of living?
Within the separate enrollment-weighted state comparison, BEA's 2023 Regional Price Parity (89.6, US=100) adjusts West Virginia's nominal estimate of $55,293 from #44 to $61,688 and #41. 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 West Virginia
Disclaimer & data sources
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher for West Virginia
| Publisher | PlainTeacher |
| Sources | Public official public datasets |