Georgia teacher pay one of the highest in Southeast

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Posted 7:37AM on Tuesday, July 16, 2002

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - The average Alabama public school teacher made $36,689 in 1999-2000, or 29th highest in the nation. But adjusted for cost of living, Alabama teacher pay ranks 19th, a new survey found. In the Southeast, Alabama public school teachers were fifth highest paid. Teachers in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida made on average more than Alabama teachers. Teachers in Mississippi earned the least regionally. The survey released on Tuesday by the American Federation of Teachers, the nation's second largest teacher's union, does not include the cost of teacher benefits. Nationally, the survey showed the average teacher salary in 1999-2000 was $41,820. Teachers in Connecticut made the most, earning $52,410 per year, with teachers in South Dakota reporting the lowest average salary at $29,072. States in New England, the Mideast and Far West regions reported the highest salaries. States in the Southwest and Southeast regions reported the lowest salaries, according to the survey. Birmingham teachers with a bachelor's degree earned an average salary of $29,502 a year, according to the survey. Teachers holding a master's degree earned an average of $42,542 a year. In the survey, Birmingham finished ahead of both Mobile County and Montgomery County teachers in pay. Beginning teacher salaries are improving faster than those of salaries of more experienced teachers, according to the survey. The average beginning teacher salary was $28,986, up 4.4 percent in 1999-2000. The average salary among teachers with almost 16 years of experience was $43,250, up just 3.4 percent from the previous year. That was among the smallest increase in 40 years. On Oct. 1 Alabama teachers will begin receiving a 3 percent pay raise passed by the Legislature this year. That will boost the average teacher salary in Alabama by $1,155 more per year.