Did you know, teacher salaries in Texas are among the highest in the nation, with some teachers in the state offered more than $100,000 per year?

With an incentive program in Texas, the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), some teachers could be eligible for $10K-$25K bonuses for outstanding performance in their classrooms, pushing salaries upward to $100K.

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Starting teacher salary in Texas

Starting salaries for a teaching career in Texas can be up to $64,000, depending on the region and subject area. In fact, the current average high school teacher salary in Texas is $64,600 (salary.com, May 2024). As with any profession, this depends on education, certification, and years of experience. Some of the key indicators for higher demand and better pay include being bilingual and specializing in high-need areas like high school science and math.

Zaira Diaz’s Story

“I’m from Puerto Rico. I went to university in Connecticut and then back to my home country where all my family lives. After starting my own family and really struggling because of the economic situation at home, I really wanted to teach in the United States. Since I was a little girl, I had always thought about becoming a teacher, but in Puerto Rico it wasn’t possible financially.

I reached out to Teachworthy, and they were so encouraging right from the start. They convinced me that I could do the training while I was in Puerto Rico and that they would be able to help me find a teaching position. They have a great reputation with the school districts they serve. I felt I could really trust them.

They did just as they promised. I found a great teaching position, and my life has changed in so many ways. My husband and kids all moved with me to Texas, and I know that none of this would have been possible without the family I found at Teachworthy.”

Watch Full Interview

Average starting teacher salaries by state in 2024

In the United States, California teachers earn the most, with an average salary of $92,960. South Dakota has the lowest average pay for educators, who earn an average of $49,190 per year. Texas sits roughly in the middle of the table at $61,210. (Data collected from World Population Review.)

Average teacher pay in Texas

The average base salary for teachers is $62,463 for the current 2023-24 school year (TEA, 2023/2024).

In 2023, the Texas Senate has passed bills that increased public education funding by 30%. Texas teacher salaries were front and center, with political parties agreeing on the need to increase teacher pay. Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, Texas teachers will be entitled to a $3,000 permanent pay raise to continue the retention payment. Teachers in districts with 5,000 or fewer students will receive $10,000 on top of their regular salary ($3,000 + $7,000 rural add on).

Texas substitute teacher pay

The average salary for substitute teachers in Texas can range from $88 to over $155 a day, depending on the district.

Texas teacher pay raise: The Story

Texas wants to maintain its competitiveness and continue to raise the level of education afforded to its citizens. That said, several forces are making this challenging:

  • A tight labor market
    With the Texas unemployment rate hitting 4% in April 2024 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas), there are fewer career changers looking for new opportunities. Teaching has always been a field that attracted professionals driven by making a difference in kids’ lives, rather than the salary. That said, education as an industry needs a steady stream of talented mission-driven people to serve as prospective teachers. Read more about how school districts are battling against this with the 90 Day Exception rule.
  • Fast population growth
    Texas counties are leading the nation in population growth. Six of the top 10 counties among the fastest growing include: Kaufman County (#1), Rockwall County (#2), Liberty County (#3), Chambers County (#6), Comal County (#7), and Ellis County (#8) accounting to the U.S. Census Bureau. The overall population of the state grew by nearly half a million people in 2023. Fast population growth increases the demand for new teachers and puts financial strain on fast-growing school districts.
  • Rising cost of living
    The cost of living in many Texas cities has been increasing, particularly in major urban areas like Austin and Dallas. Housing prices, in particular, have seen significant increases. This makes it challenging for teachers, who may not see their salaries rise at the same rate as living costs, to afford housing and other essentials. Addressing this imbalance is crucial to attracting and retaining qualified teachers in these regions.

Starting teacher salaries in Texas schools have been competitive nationally but needed to be increased. Texas ranked 14th overall in average new teacher compensation during the 2022-2023 school year.

The range of salaries in the Texas teacher pay scale will be between $47,469 and $69,361 depending on factors like certification area, urban or rural district and unique needs of the district (salary.com).

Highest paying teacher jobs in Texas

The highest-paid teachers in 2023 were secondary school teachers, who earned an average base salary of $63,800. According to TEA, Campus Administrators earned an average base pay of $83,445, and Central Administrators earned an average of $110,949 a year.

How to become a teacher

To hear how Teachworthy is preparing teachers through our alternative teacher certification program to enter the classroom, listen to Whitney Krammer share how she became a teacher:

Interested? Find out more by exploring our resources and applying for Teachworthy today.