Ohio's public school teachers earn less than the national average, a trend that education advocates say hinders the state's ability to attract and retain talent. According to a report from the National Education Association (NEA), Ohio’s average public school teacher salary is $70,586, placing the state 23rd in the nation. This figure falls short of the national average of $74,495 for the 2024-25 school year.
The disparity is even more pronounced for new educators. The NEA report indicates Ohio's average starting teacher salary is $42,222, ranking 46th nationwide, significantly lower than the national average of $48,112.
“Ohio, based on the numbers, seems to be lagging behind in both the average teacher starting salary and just the overall teacher salary in Ohio,” said Ohio Education Association (OEA) President Jeff Wensing. He emphasized that education must be a sustainable career to support families and attract talented individuals to the profession.
Ohio’s candidates for governor have voiced their intent to increase teacher pay. Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has stated on his campaign website that he wants to “pay our best teachers more by rewarding excellence and attracting top talent into the profession.” In a Facebook video on September 19, Ramaswamy indicated that starting salaries for public school teachers need to be higher than the current $38,000-$40,000 range. However, Wensing pointed out that Ohio’s base salary for a new teacher with a bachelor’s degree is actually $35,000, questioning whether a gubernatorial candidate would be aware of the state's minimum teacher salary.
On the Democratic side, Dr. Amy Acton, who has been endorsed by the OEA, is advocating for raising teacher pay across the board. Virginia Schaus, spokeswoman for the Acton campaign, stated that Dr. Acton, whose husband is a 44-year public school teacher, will fight to fully fund public schools to provide local districts with the resources needed to raise pay and retain teachers.
Legislative efforts are also underway. Ohio Democratic state Representatives Joe Miller and Michele Grim introduced Ohio House Bill 191 last year, which aims to raise the base salary for all teachers in Ohio to $50,000. The bill has received one committee hearing. Any bill not passed before the Ohio General Assembly concludes its two-year session in December would require reintroduction in the next session.
The challenges in teacher compensation contribute to broader workforce issues. In 2025, one in eight teaching positions across Ohio were either vacant or filled by an under-qualified educator. Wensing noted that educators are leaving the profession to seek careers that offer better financial support for their families.
Ohio is among 32 states that do not offer additional pay to attract or keep teachers in hard-to-staff schools or subjects, according to a report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a nonprofit research and advocacy organization. NCTQ President Heather Peske defined hard-to-staff subjects as those with persistent vacancies year after year, including special education, English as a second language, and high school math and science. Hard-to-staff schools, Peske explained, often serve students from higher poverty backgrounds or are located in rural areas where the pool of potential hires is smaller.
The NCTQ recommends that states address these shortages by guaranteeing teachers in the highest-need placements at least a 7.5% salary supplement. Peske stated that states offering differentiated pay, whether based on subject shortages or performance, see higher teacher retention. The NCTQ also suggests providing high-performing teachers opportunities to earn more based on evaluation criteria. Ohio spent an estimated $7 billion on teacher salaries for the 2024-25 school year, according to the NCTQ.
