Nevada teachers’ salaries rank 12th

Monday, June 3, 2002 | 9:54 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Salaries for Nevada schoolteachers rank 12th in the nation, with the average pay at $43,083.

But Nevada ranks sixth highest in the number of students the teacher has in each class, according to a survey by the American Federation of Teachers for the 1999-2000 school year. The figures are included in information given to Gov. Kenny Guinn's Task Force on Taxes.

The report said the average teacher salary in the United States was $41,820.

The study says that adjusting for the cost of living, lowers Nevada's ranking to 15th in the nation. Among Western states, Nevada ranks only below Oregon at $45,103 and California at $47,680.

The highest salaries, according to the report, are $52,410 in Connecticut and New York at $51,020.

But Nevada teachers carry a heavier load than most other states. The survey shows the average class size at 18.8 pupils. The highest class size in the nation is in California with 21 students per class.

Nevada ranks 38th in the nation in the average teacher salary per classroom student at $2,319.

The best paid teachers in the nation, when based on average salary per student, is New Jersey whose average class size is 13.3 students and the teacher earns an average of $3,320 per pupil. The worst in the nation is Utah where the average class size is 21.9 students and the average pay per pupil is $1,700.