A new report finds Indiana ranks 38th in the nation for teacher pay despite recent efforts by lawmakers to boost teacher salaries — a trend the Indiana State Teachers Association attributes to inflation, compression of mid-career salaries and limited collective bargaining rights.
The National Education Association found the average teacher salary in Indiana hit $61,661 for the 2024-25 school year, a milestone for Hoosier educators.
But Hoosier teacher pay still trails neighboring states and the national average, which hit $74,495 last school year, the NEA report found.
A look at the numbers
National average starting teacher salary: $48,112
Indiana starting teacher salary: $45,958 (34th in the nation)
National average teacher salary: $74,495
Hoosier average teacher salary: $61,661
Hoosier average education support professional salary: $32,593 (40th in nation)
Per student spending: $13,603 (40th in the nation)
Indiana ranks second-lowest among neighboring states like Illinois ($78,495), Michigan ($71,023), Ohio ($70,586) and Wisconsin ($67,794), surpassing only Kentucky ($60,594) in teacher pay.
The state ranks 34th in the nation for starting teacher pay with an average entry-level salary of $45,958, a decline from the previous year.
“Indiana educators are making progress, but we’re not keeping pace with other states,” Indiana State Teachers Association President Jennifer Smith-Margraf said in a statement. “That puts long-term retention at risk and makes it harder to build a stable, experienced workforce in our public schools.”
Lawmakers passed legislation raising the minimum required starting teacher salary from $40,000 to $45,000 last year through Senate Enrolled Act 146. But local districts are in charge of actually funding the salaries through state and property tax revenue.
Still, a Legislative Services Agency interim study committee report found that while the average Hoosier teacher salary increased by 4% from 2024 to 2025, median wages for teachers and administrators alike have declined since 2020 when adjusted for inflation.
Attention on entry-level teaching salaries obscures another trend: mid-career educators are not seeing commensurate raises as new teachers.
“That creates real challenges for retention and sends the wrong message to educators who are building their careers in Indiana,” Smith-Margraf said in a news release.
ISTA attributed gains in teacher pay primarily to local collective bargaining efforts, citing national data that teachers earn more in states with the strongest collective bargaining rights.
The union also raised concerns about per pupil spending not keeping pace with other states and changes to Indiana’s property tax policy, which the union warns will put pressure on local taxpayers and school budgets, limiting the ability of schools to offer competitive teacher pay.
“If we want to attract and keep great educators in Indiana, we have to stay competitive, Smith-Margraf said. “That means investing in public schools and making sure educator pay reflects the value of experience, not just entry into the profession.”
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
