Are Illinois teachers underpaid or overpaid relative to other degreed white-collar workers? The attached chart shows they are overpaid without even including the value of tenure or million-dollar pensions or 3 months off every summer.
Did you know there are 6 schools where the average teacher makes about the same monthly salary as the average MD in General Practice?
Did you know that 63 schools pay a monthly salary greater than the average dentist in general practice makes?
How about 37 schools paying more than pharmacists, 32 more than Administrative Law Judges, and 27 more than actuaries.
And hundreds of schools pay more than microbiologists, chemists, chemical engineers, mechanical engineers, mathematicians, veterinarians, computer programmers and auditors.
You will notice the above-mentioned degrees require a much more rigorous curriculum of study, with heavy doses of math and science, than the typical Education or Liberal Arts degree. Most of them take more years too. Engineers and pharmacists take 5 years, veterinarians and dentists take 6 years, law judges and MD’s at least 7 years.
And on a total compensation basis the numbers are even more staggering. Add 10% for the value of tenure and 30% for excess employer (taxpayer) contribution to the pension compared to the average of Fortune 500 companies. When you compare Total Compensation instead of just Monthly Salary the comparisons are completely out of whack.
| ARE TEACHERS UNDERPAID COMPARED TO OTHER COLLEGE GRADUATES? | ||||||
| ILLINOIS | OTHER DEGREED SALARIES | |||||
| TEACHER SALARIES TOP 100 SCHOOLS | ||||||
| 9 MONTH WORK YEAR, TENURE | 12 MONTH WORK YEAR, NO TENURE | |||||
| RETIREMENT at 55 on 75% Of Salary | RETIREMENT at 65 on 50% Of Salary (Maybe) | |||||
| District Name | Teacher Monthly Salary | Other Monthly Salary | Occupation | |||
| / | / | $4,630 | Librarians | |||
| / | / | $4,713 | Landscape Architects | |||
| / | / | $4,735 | Microbiologists | |||
| / | / | $4,748 | Conservation Scientists | |||
| / | / | $4,951 | Clinical Psychologists | |||
| / | / | $4,985 | Financial Specialists | |||
| / | / | $4,988 | Budget Analysts | |||
| / | / | $5,039 | Chemists | |||
| / | / | $5,169 | Operations Research | |||
| / | / | $5,181 | Urban Planners | |||
| / | / | $5,239 | Veterinarians | |||
| / | / | $5,242 | Accountants and Auditors | |||
| / | / | $5,313 | Industrial Engineers | |||
| / | / | $5,351 | Safety Engineers | |||
| / | / | $5,388 | Database Administrators | |||
| / | / | $5,394 | Geoscientists | |||
| / | / | $5,400 | Biomedical Engineers | |||
| / | / | $5,483 | Statisticians | |||
| / | / | $5,518 | Computer Programmers | |||
| / | / | $5,543 | Tax Examiners | |||
| / | / | $5,598 | Environmental Engineers | |||
| / | / | $5,613 | Financial Analysts | |||
| / | / | $5,670 | Civil Engineers | |||
| / | / | $5,738 | Architects | |||
| / | / | $5,752 | Mechanical Engineers | |||
| / | / | $5,868 | Electrical Engineers | |||
| / | $5,921 | Materials Engineers | ||||
| / | / | $5,934 | Electronics Engineers | |||
| / | / | $6,079 | Materials Scientists | |||
| / | / | $6,164 | Mathematicians | |||
| / | / | $6,188 | Chemical Engineers | |||
| / | / | $6,281 | Financial Advisors | |||
| / | / | $6,322 | Computer SW Engineers | |||
| / | / | $6,390 | Physical Scientists | |||
| COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DIST 300 | >>>> | $6,514 | ||||
| BENTON COMM CONS SCH DIST 47 | 100 | $6,646 | ||||
| WEST NORTHFIELD SCHOOL DIST 31 | 99 | $6,648 | ||||
| BATAVIA UNIT SCHOOL DIST 101 | 98 | $6,648 | ||||
| COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DIST 200 | 97 | $6,648 | ||||
| APTAKISIC-TRIPP C C S DIST 102 | 96 | $6,662 | ||||
| ELMWOOD PARK C U SCH DIST 401 | 95 | $6,682 | ||||
| PARK RIDGE C C SCHOOL DIST 64 | 94 | $6,688 | ||||
| EAST ALTON-WOOD RIVER C H S D 14 | 93 | $6,691 | ||||
| RHODES SCHOOL DIST 84-5 | 92 | $6,716 | ||||
| CITY OF CHICAGO SCHOOL DIST 299 | 91 | $6,723 | ||||
| OAK PARK ELEM SCHOOL DIST 97 | 90 | $6,736 | ||||
| HONONEGAH COMM H S DIST 207 | 89 | $6,736 | ||||
| BARRINGTON C U SCHOOL DIST 220 | 88 | $6,745 | ||||
| BENTON CONS HIGH SCHOOL DIST 103 | 87 | $6,753 | ||||
| ROSEMONT ELEM SCHOOL DIST 78 | 86 | $6,758 | ||||
| OTTAWA TWP H S DIST 140 | 85 | $6,759 | ||||
| ZION SCHOOL DISTRICT 6 | 84 | $6,779 | ||||
| SALT CREEK SCHOOL DIST 48 | 83 | $6,785 | ||||
| ROCKFORD SCHOOL DIST 205 | 82 | $6,785 | ||||
| DOLTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 149 | 81 | $6,806 | ||||
| MOLINE UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT 40 | 80 | $6,814 | ||||
| FAIRVIEW SCHOOL DIST 72 | 79 | $6,823 | ||||
| MCHENRY COMM H S DIST 156 | 78 | $6,834 | ||||
| DOWNERS GRv GRADE SCH DIST 58 | 77 | $6,834 | ||||
| PRINCETON HIGH SCH DIST 500 | 76 | $6,859 | ||||
| LOMBARD SCHOOL DISTRICT 44 | 75 | $6,859 | ||||
| COMM CONS SCH DIST 59 | 74 | $6,870 | ||||
| GOLF ELEM SCHOOL DIST 67 | 73 | $6,883 | ||||
| LISLE C U SCH DIST 202 | 72 | $6,889 | ||||
| EVANSTON C C SCHOOL DIST 65 | 71 | $6,899 | ||||
| MEDINAH SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 | 70 | $6,917 | ||||
| LOCKPORT TWP HS DIST 205 | 69 | $6,925 | ||||
| WHEELING C C SCHOOL DIST 21 | 68 | $6,954 | ||||
| NILES ELEM SCHOOL DIST 71 | 67 | $6,966 | ||||
| JOLIET TWP HS DIST 204 | 66 | $6,966 | ||||
| ZION-BENTON TWP H S DIST 126 | 65 | $6,968 | ||||
| PALATINE C C SCHOOL DIST 15 | 64 | $6,969 | ||||
| $6,998 | Dentists, General | |||||
| KILDEER COUNTRYSIDE C C S DIST 96 | 63 | $7,000 | >> 63 Schools Pay More Than Dentists | |||
| RONDOUT SCHOOL DIST 72 | 62 | $7,005 | ||||
| BLOOM TWP HIGH SCH DIST 206 | 61 | $7,011 | ||||
| BYRON COMM UNIT SCHOOL DIST 226 | 60 | $7,027 | ||||
| SKOKIE SCHOOL DIST 68 | 59 | $7,055 | ||||
| MORTON GROVE SCHOOL DIST 70 | 58 | $7,059 | ||||
| SCHAUMBURG C C SCHOOL DIST 54 | 57 | $7,064 | ||||
| GRANT COMM H S DISTRICT 124 | 56 | $7,077 | ||||
| NORTH SHORE SD 112 | 55 | $7,082 | ||||
| NORTHBROOK/GLENVIEW SCH DIST 30 | 54 | $7,086 | ||||
| FRANKFORT COMM UNIT SCH DIST 168 | 53 | $7,093 | ||||
| COMMUNITY HIGH SCH DISTRICT 94 | 52 | $7,093 | ||||
| LINCOLN WAY COMM H S DIST 210 | 51 | $7,118 | ||||
| J S MORTON H S DISTRICT 201 | 50 | $7,129 | ||||
| LEMONT TWP H S DIST 210 | 49 | $7,155 | ||||
| MORRIS COMM HIGH SCH DIST 101 | 48 | $7,155 | ||||
| LA GRANGE SCHOOL DIST 105 (SOUTH) | 47 | $7,174 | ||||
| ELMHURST SCHOOL DIST 205 | 46 | $7,208 | ||||
| OAK LAWN COMM H S DIST 229 | 45 | $7,219 | ||||
| $7,228 | Aerospace Engineers | |||||
| BELLEVILLE TWP HS DIST 201 | 44 | $7,247 | >> 44 Schools Pay More Than Aerospace Engineers | |||
| EVERGREEN PARK COMM HI SCH D 231 | 43 | $7,260 | ||||
| WARREN TWP HIGH SCH DIST 121 | 42 | $7,276 | ||||
| C U SCHOOL DIST 201 | 41 | $7,279 | ||||
| GOWER SCHOOL DIST 62 | 40 | $7,326 | ||||
| $7,353 | Pharmacists | |||||
| NORTHBROOK ELEM SCHOOL DIST 27 | 39 | $7,414 | >> 39 Schools Pay Teachers More Than Pharmacists | |||
| LINCOLNWOOD SCHOOL DIST 74 | 38 | $7,465 | ||||
| NAPERVILLE C U DIST 203 | 37 | $7,552 | ||||
| RICH TWP H S DISTRICT 227 | 36 | $7,560 | ||||
| RIDGEWOOD COMM H S DIST 234 | 35 | $7,602 | ||||
| BUTLER SCHOOL DISTRICT 53 | 34 | $7,622 | ||||
| HOMEWOOD FLOSSMOOR C H S D 233 | 33 | $7,692 | ||||
| $7,701 | Nuclear Engineers | |||||
| $7,711 | Administrative Law Judges | |||||
| THORNTON FRACTIONAL T H S D 215 | 32 | $7,711 | >> 32 Schools Pay more Than Admin Judges | |||
| MUNDELEIN CONS HIGH SCH DIST 120 | 31 | $7,787 | >> 32 Schools Pay More Than Nuclear Engineers | |||
| COMMUNITY HIGH SCH DIST 128 | 30 | $7,800 | ||||
| COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DIST 218 | 29 | $7,823 | ||||
| C C SCHOOL DIST 181 | 28 | $7,840 | ||||
| $7,986 | Actuaries | |||||
| RIVERSIDE BROOKFIELD TWP DIST 208 | 27 | $8,113 | >> 27 Schools Pay more Than Actuaries | |||
| BREMEN COMM H S DISTRICT 228 | 26 | $8,138 | ||||
| COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DIST 155 | 25 | $8,142 | ||||
| SENECA TWP H S DIST 160 | 24 | $8,165 | ||||
| DU PAGE HIGH SCHOOL DIST 88 | 23 | $8,246 | ||||
| COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DIST 99 | 22 | $8,315 | ||||
| CONS HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 230 | 21 | $8,348 | ||||
| OAK PARK & RIVER FOREST DIST 200 | 20 | $8,414 | ||||
| MAINE TOWNSHIP H S DIST 207 | 19 | $8,475 | ||||
| ARGO COMM H S DIST 217 | 18 | $8,533 | ||||
| LAKE PARK COMM H S DIST 108 | 17 | $8,549 | ||||
| LAKE FOREST COMM H S DISTRICT 115 | 16 | $8,559 | ||||
| ADLAI E STEVENSON DIST 125 | 15 | $8,581 | ||||
| NILES TWP COMM HIGH SCH DIST 219 | 14 | $8,617 | ||||
| NORTHFIELD TWP HIGH SCH DIST 225 | 13 | $8,749 | ||||
| EVANSTON TWP H S DIST 202 | 12 | $8,774 | ||||
| LEYDEN COMM H S DIST 212 | 11 | $8,830 | ||||
| REAVIS TWP H S DIST 220 | 10 | $8,839 | ||||
| TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DIST 214 | 9 | $8,896 | ||||
| FENTON COMM H S DIST 100 | 8 | $8,902 | ||||
| HINSDALE TWP H S DIST 86 | 7 | $8,992 | ||||
| TOWNSHIP H S DIST 211 | 6 | $9,045 | ||||
| NEW TRIER TWP H S DIST 203 | 5 | $9,104 | ||||
| LYONS TWP H S DIST 204 | 4 | $9,127 | ||||
| GLENBARD TWP H S DIST 87 | 3 | $9,130 | ||||
| THORNTON TWP H S DIST 205 | 2 | $9,141 | ||||
| TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DIST 113 | 1 | $9,142 | >> And 6 Schools Pay About the Same as MD’s | |||
| $9,156 | MD General Practitioners | |||||
