Collier County teachers protested for higher base pay and livable wages outside the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Administrative Center in Naples, Florida, on April 27 after the postponement of a school board meeting set to finalize teacher salaries for the 2025-26 school year.
According to data from the National Education Association, Florida teacher salaries are second-to-lowest in the nation for the third year in a row. Florida ranked 50th out of 50 states and Washington D.C. for average public school teacher pay.
“In most places, even when educators win modest increases, pay is not keeping up with soaring inflation, the report states. “Low pay limits the ability to attract and retain quality educators in the profession.”
Here’s a look at Collier County, Florida and U.S. teacher salaries:
Collier County teacher salary
Base pay for teachers, according to the Collier County Public Schools website:
Florida teacher salary, pay ranking
Florida teacher pay ranked 50th out of 50 states and Washington D.C., with an average salary of $56,663.
According to NEA estimates:
Teacher salary in U.S., pay rank by state
Average teacher pay by state, according to NEA:
Contributing: Mickenzie Hannon, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
Kim Luciani is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s Audience team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: What do Collier County teachers make? Florida ranks 50th in US for pay
Reporting by Kim Luciani, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Naples Daily News
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