U.S. Teachers: Grow Your Salary with a Master’s Degree


| by Hannah Sparling

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Let’s start with a list of reasons people go into education: 

  1. To make a difference in student lives. 
  2. To build into the next generation. 
  3. For job security, for interesting workdays, for continuous learning, for summers off. 

The possibilities are endless, but one answer you probably won’t see is money. The fact is, teacher salaries have for years lagged behind the salaries of other college-educated professionals

But just because salary wasn’t top of mind when you went into teaching doesn’t mean you’re stuck with whatever you’re making now. Sure, your salary will grow as you add years of experience to your resume, but there are ways to move the needle faster. You could take on an extracurricular coaching job, for example. You could become an instructional or technology coach or move into a specialized subject area like STEM or special education. 

Or, you could earn your master’s degree. It may cost you upfront with tuition payments, but a master’s degree can significantly increase your salary for the rest of your career. 

Salary Increase with a Master’s  

How much more will you make with a master’s degree? Well, that depends on where you teach.  

Nationwide, the average starting salary for a teacher with a master’s degree is $3,652 more than the starting salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s only, according to data from the National Education Association

Further along in their careers, U.S. teachers with master’s degrees have an average top salary that’s $10,457 a year more than the top salary for teachers with bachelor’s degrees only. 

Source: National Education Association (NEA)  

If you’re wondering whether it’s worth it financially, just do a little math. Look at the cost of your master’s program versus the guaranteed salary increase in your district. 

How many years will it take you to make up the cost of the program?  

After that, how much more will you earn every year for the rest of your career?  

A Concrete Example 

Imagine you’re a new teacher for Atlanta Public Schools. You’re at step 1 on the APS salary schedule, $61,816 a year.  

You enroll in Moreland University and earn your master’s degree. 

Step 2 

The next year, you’re at step 2 on the salary schedule but in the master’s lane. You’ll earn $70,340.  

That’s $7,760 more than you would have earned without your master’s. 

Tuition for Moreland’s master’s program costs $14,000, so right now, you’re $6,240 in the red.  

Step 3

The next year, you’ll make $72,448 with your master’s. That’s $8,810 more than the bachelor’s only salary for step 3. 

You’ll make up the cost of your master’s degree this year, and in fact, you’re up $2,570 overall. 

Step 4

The next year, you’ll make $75,124 with your masters, $8,942 more than the bachelor’s only salary.  

Your master’s degree was paid off last year, so this is all extra money in your pocket. Counting last year’s extra, you’re up $11,512 overall.  

And it just gets better from here. The top salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s only at APS is $90,366. For a teacher with a master’s, it’s $102,570 — a difference of more than $12,000 a year. 

The details are different district by district and state by state, but the bottom line tends to be the same: Teachers with master’s degrees have a much higher earning potential. Even though there’s an upfront cost, the degree more than pays for itself in just a few years. 

More than the Money 

The salary increase is great, but a master’s degree can open other doors as well.  

First off, it can make you a better teacher. Maybe you have a passion for special education — a master’s in special education could help you be a more effective, compassionate teacher. Or maybe you’re interested in educational technology or teaching multilingual learners. Master’s degrees in those specific focus areas could help you reach your goals.  

Or maybe you’re ready to expand your career outside the classroom, to become a principal, a district administrator, or an education consultant. Many of these roles (which also come with higher salaries, by the way) require a master’s degree. 

Think about why you became a teacher in the first place. What did you want to accomplish, and where did you hope it would lead?  

Could a master’s degree help you get there?  

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