Progress stalls on Arizona teacher pay as costs rise, workforce gaps widen

By Stacy Mantle
Mail

Arizona’s teacher pay structure reflects a broader national pattern: modest increases that fail to keep pace with inflation and rising living costs.

Nationally, starting teacher salaries rose to $48,112 in 2024-25, but real growth remained under 1% after inflation adjustments .

That gap is even more pronounced in Arizona, where starting salaries fall several thousand dollars below the national average.

While policymakers in some states have focused on raising minimum salaries, research shows that approach alone may create imbalance — boosting entry-level pay without addressing mid- and late-career earnings, which are critical for retention. 

This imbalance is playing out across the profession. Teachers are entering classrooms, but most are not staying.

“Every teacher and support staff should be paid a thriving wage, not just a living wage,” said Robert Gaines, a special education paraprofessional. “Because one job should be enough for a public servant.”

AEA report reinforces urgency

The urgency of the issue was underscored this week, as the Arizona Education Association released a report highlighting ongoing educator pay challenges, including the widening gap between salaries and the cost of living.

State data show Arizona teacher salaries have seen only modest gains in recent years, increasing about 1% to roughly $65,613 in fiscal year 2025, with some districts reporting declines as one-time federal funding expired.

The report emphasizes what many districts are experiencing: pay increases have not kept pace with inflation, and educators across experience levels are feeling the squeeze. It also reinforces a key concern: raising starting pay alone will not solve workforce shortages without increases for veteran teachers and support staff.

“Educator pay is not keeping up,” said Becky Pringle, NEA president. “Over the past decade, even as salaries have risen in some places, they have failed to keep pace with inflation. That means many of our teachers are effectively earning less today than they were ten years ago.”

Pay gap problem

The teacher pay gap remains one of the most persistent challenges in education. Nationally, teachers earn about 73 cents for every dollar earned by similarly educated professionals.

In Arizona, that gap is even wider at 67 cents, underscoring a disadvantage that affects recruitment pipelines.

While some Arizona districts have pushed salaries higher to remain competitive, others continue to lag, creating uneven pay across the state and intensifying competition for experienced educators, according to Teachers of Tomorrow.

Educators with comparable degrees can earn significantly more in other industries, often with less stress and more predictable working conditions. Over time, that reality contributes to shortages, particularly in high-need subject areas and rural districts.

Paying the broader school workforce

Arizona’s education system relies heavily on education support professionals, including bus drivers, paraprofessionals, custodians and others who are similarly underpaid.

According to the AEA, the average K–12 education support professionals' earnings are Arizona is $34,382 (No. 29 nationally). The average higher education support professionals' earnings are $46,206 (No. 27 nationally).

National data shows even full-time support staff can struggle to meet basic living costs, with many earning below what is considered a modest standard of living.

"Out of my 20 years as a paraprofessional, there has only been one year that I've been able to do two jobs or less," said Gaines.

"I got a couple of other second jobs that occupied my nights and weekends that took me away from a number of school events," said Jesse Hargrove, MEA president. "I couldn't cheer on my students at soccer games or applaud after muscals because they were going on while I was at another job."

In some cases, more than a quarter of those support professionals earn less than $25,000 annually, despite working full time. This creates additional instability in schools, where staffing shortages extend beyond the classroom.

Higher education tells a different story

While K-12 salaries lag, higher education faculty in Arizona fare comparatively better with an average faculty salary of $107,231 (No. 18 nationally), according to the AEA.

Nationally, faculty salaries have surpassed $100,000 for multiple years, though even these gains have not fully recovered from inflation losses following the pandemic.

The contrast highlights a widening divide within the education workforce — one where K-12 educators face greater financial pressure despite being central to early learning and workforce development.

Funding at the core

As lawmakers debate how to increase teacher pay, some are pushing for stricter accountability. During a March 23 Senate session, Rep. Matt Hoffman said districts that fail to direct funding toward classroom instruction and teacher pay within six years should face penalties.

Arizona’s low ranking in per-student spending ranks No. 49 in the nation and remains a central factor in teacher pay challenges.

School funding directly shapes salary schedules, staffing levels and district flexibility. Without increased investment, districts are often forced to make trade-offs between raising salaries, maintaining programs, and filling critical positions.

This funding reality also limits long-term solutions. Short-term pay raises or one-time bonuses may provide temporary relief, but they do not address systemic gaps.

According to the AZ Auditor General, salary gains in recent years have been tied in part to temporary federal relief funding, raising concerns about sustainability as those dollars phase out.

Policy discussions around teacher pay in Arizona are increasingly shifting toward sustainability:

• Raising starting salaries alone is not enough — mid-career and veteran teachers must see meaningful increases.
• Workforce-wide investment is critical, including education support professionals and support staff.
• Funding reforms tied to student needs and cost-of-living adjustments may help stabilize district budgets.
• Long-term strategies may include career ladder pathways, retention incentives and housing or benefit supports.

Arizona’s current trajectory presents a clear challenge: without competitive salaries aligned to the cost of living and professional expectations, the state risks continued turnover and staffing shortages.

At the same time, the data points to a path forward. States that have made sustained, comprehensive investments rather than isolated increases are seeing stronger outcomes in both recruitment and retention.

"We have been working really hard with our legislators, who are pro-public education, to improve our statewide minimum educator pay," said Hargrove. "This is a phased program thtat will take three years to actually get to a $50,000 minimum.

For Arizona, the question is no longer whether teacher pay matters. The question is whether the state is willing to invest at the level required to make the profession sustainable long term.

Stacy Mantle
Education Solutions Reporter

smantle@iniusa.org

Meet Stacy
Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.

Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.

Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!

Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.

Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.