Teacher Pay from far away: Chicago

Chicago is big. Living in New York, many of us are accustomed to huge – Chicago’s not that. But with almost 3 million people (in the city itself) and millions more in its metropolitan area (which is still growing), Chicago is the largest city between the Coasts and north of the Rio Grande. It’s also the home of our next president.

What do teachers in Chicago make? At the beginning, just a bit less than teachers in New York City, it turns out. But with no raises after the 14th year, the top lags. This year starting is 43k, with a bachelors, a 5 year teacher with a masters makes 56k, 10 years Masters + 30 makes 70, and 14 years with a doctorate (top of scale) makes 87k. Step 14 is new this year. Steps 15 and 16 (for 20 and 25 years, respectively) will phase in 2010 and 2011.

Now, that’s for 38 weeks. They also have scales for 42 weeks, 46 weeks, and 52 weeks. I don’t really know how many teachers work in which categories. But the website treats 38 as typical (although they quote higher numbers than I did here: they include “pension pick up” as salary, which it really is not.)

Full scale, beneath the fold:

FULL-TIME TEACHER SALARY – 38.6 WEEK POSITIONS – 6.25 Hour Day

2008-2009 SCHOOL YEAR

In thousands of dollars, rounded to the nearest thousand.

Source: Chicago Public Schools website.

Share links, or e-mail me, and I will post more salary schedules. The one’s have posted? Most I stumbled on; now two readers have sent them in, a commenter linked to some recent data, and I found a paper copy of this one. Send more, I’ll post more (and more people will send more, and more people will read them, and more people ….)