The statewide average annual salary of the nearly 130,000 full-time public school teachers in Illinois is $62,609, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
But teacher salaries vary greatly depending on a district's location, level of education, years of experience and amount of school funding -- i.e., local property tax revenue.
Using 2014-2015 teacher salary data from ISBE, we've compiled a list of the Top 25 school districts with the highest and lowest average starting teacher salaries, including the difference in pay between new teachers with a bachelor's and master's degree.
Median starting teacher salaries by degree and experience level in Illinois:
- Bachelors Beginning: $36,927
- Masters Beginning: $40,891
As you'll see, location, cost of living, district size and local sources of revenue seemingly are the biggest determinants of a teacher's starting salary. If you're interested in comparing cost of living between various districts, use AreaVibes' cost-of-living calculator at the bottom of the page.
Here are the Top 25 Illinois school districts with the highest and lowest average starting salaries for teachers with a bachelor's degree
