A new report from the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative at Michigan State University sheds light on teacher compensation policy and public opinion on the issue in Michigan. The report, titled “Teacher Compensation in Michigan: Recent Trends and Public Opinion,” analyzes the current state of teacher salaries in Michigan compared to other states.

According to the report, while average teacher salaries in Michigan are similar to those in neighboring states, they have fallen to slightly below the national average and have declined significantly over the past two decades when adjusted for inflation.

This decline has been more pronounced in Michigan than in almost all other states. The report also highlights that Michigan teachers make significantly less than other professions. On average, Michigan teachers earn 20.7% less than other college graduates with similar levels of education and experience.

Michigan’s starting salaries for new teachers rank among the lowest in the nation and fall behind all neighboring states. As many other states with previously low starting salaries have recently taken steps to increase teacher pay, Michigan risks falling further behind in attracting and retaining new talent to the profession.

Despite these challenges, the report’s survey findings indicate strong public support for increasing teacher salaries in Michigan, particularly for new teachers. Michiganders believe that starting salaries for teachers should be raised by nearly $10,000, while there is more moderate support for increasing average salaries overall.

“Michigan’s average teacher salaries have not kept pace with inflation, and starting salaries are lower in Michigan than most other states,” said Jason Burns, EPIC research specialist and lead author of the report. “These trends have implications for the state’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality educators, which is crucial for supporting student learning.”

While this report does not investigate the causes of lower teacher pay, researchers point to school funding policies over the past three decades as the potential source of these challenges. 

“School funding in Michigan has only started to catch up recently after many, many years of low investments,” said Burns.

Additionally, many states with lower teacher pay have enacted or are currently considering state-level policies to universally raise teacher compensation. These policies often lead to much more rapid increases in teacher pay. For example, legislators in Arkansas, a state that previously fell below Michigan in terms of average starting teacher salary, increased the minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000 for the 2023-24 school year.

“Michigan is a state with strong traditions of local control, and setting state-level policies about teacher compensation has proven to be challenging,” said Madeline Mavrogordato, an associate professor in the MSU College of Education and co-author of the report.

As the state grapples with significant teacher shortages and works to support students’ academic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that every classroom is led by a qualified and effective teacher is more important than ever. Research has consistently shown the importance of teachers in improving student outcomes, and the shortage of appropriately credentialed teachers in Michigan threatens to undermine these efforts. These findings underscore the role of teacher compensation as a key strategy for attracting and retaining high-quality educators.

Read the full report: Teacher Compensation in Michigan: Recent Trends and Public Opinion.