Veteran Atlanta teachers have some of the highest lifetime earnings compared to teachers in large districts nationally.
That's according to a new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonprofit that advocates for policies it believes will increase the number of effective teachers.
Over a 30-year career, an Atlanta Public Schools teacher will earn about $2.2 million. Adjusting for the cost of living in different cities, only three of the 113 districts included in the report ranked higher: Pittsburgh, the District of Columbia and Columbus, Ohio.
Those figures, which are based on 2013-2014 salary schedules, assume teachers earn master’s degrees and pursue additional education throughout their careers.
Salaries for beginning and veteran Atlanta teachers are also significantly higher than in most other districts included in the report, adjusting for cost of living.
Fulton County, where teacher lifetime earnings are ranked number 17 among those included in the report, is considering changing how its teachers are paid. Fulton's plan would award highly rated teachers who moved to low-performing schools $20,000 stipends and teachers would receive reimbursements — rather than salary bumps — for earning advanced degrees.
Here’s how lifetime earnings for teachers in other metro Atlanta school districts ranked in comparison to the districts in the NCTQ report, again taking cost of living into account:
- Atlanta - #4
- Cobb County - #15
- Fulton County - #17
- Gwinnett County - #20
- DeKalb County - #29
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