Florida teachers make about $16,450 less than national average — and Brevard's gap is bigger

It's Teacher Appreciation Week nationwide, but a new report shows Florida is ranked at No. 50 in the nation for its average teacher salary — and Brevard comes in even lower than that.

According to the Florida Department of Education, a report from the 2022-2023 school year shows teachers on the Space Coast earn more than $2,000 less than the state average.

The National Education Association, the largest labor union in the nation that represents public school teachers and other educators, releases the yearly report on teacher salaries. This year's report, based on 2022-2023 data, showed that "salaries continue to lag woefully behind inflation over the past decade," according to their website.

Here's how the numbers break down, and what Brevard is doing to boost teacher salaries.

What's the average Florida teacher making?

Florida teachers made $53,098 on average during the 2022-2023 school year, according to NEA. That's about $16,446 less than the national average of $69,544, with a pay gap of 80 cents compared to other college-educated professionals with similar experience, according to NEA.

The starting salary for teachers in Florida was nearly $6,000 less than the overall average, with the average starting pay for the same year estimated at $47,178, according to NEA. That's a couple thousand dollars more than the national average starting salary of $44,530.

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Brevard teachers: More than $2,000 less than state average

During the 2022-2023 school year, Brevard teachers were paid about $50,863 on average, according to the Florida Department of Education.

That's about $2,234 less than the state average and $18,681 less than the national average.

What's considered a livable wage in Florida?

Even the $53,098 average Florida teachers are making falls nearly $6,000 short of Florida's "minimum living wage," which NEA defined as income needed for a family of one adult and one child to have a "modest but adequate standard of living in the most affordable metro area."

The minimum living wage for Florida was estimated at $58,970.

Brevard teachers, on average, fell about $8,107 below the minimum living wage in the 2022-2023 school year.

Steps toward better pay

Brevard Federation of Teachers is prepping to negotiate for next year's salary. And already, during the fall of the 2023-2024 school year, the district and union came to an agreement that included a nearly 10% pay increase for teachers.

Most teachers were set to see a pay increase of 9.9%, with 2.5% of that increase coming from a salary increase and the rest coming from millage, which was voted on by taxpayers during the 2022 election.

The agreement also increased supplement payments by 30%; gave teachers more time off for bereavement and parental leave; and more.

"Brevard Public Schools has some of the most qualified teachers in the state and we consistently work to increase compensation packages for our teachers and all BPS employees," said Russell Bruhn, a spokesperson for the district.

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"As we prepare to close another successful school year, we will continue to look for ways to provide the most competitive compensation as possible to our educators."

Anthony Colucci, president of BFT, said at the time of the agreement that the raise would address inequities in supplement pay.

"The agreements that we secured for more protected time for our school counselors, social workers and those providing services to students with disabilities will benefit our students for years to come," he said.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at [email protected]. X: @_finchwalker.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard teacher pay less than state, national averages by thousands