REPORT: New Jersey’s Teacher Workforce, 2019: Diversity Lags, Wage Gap Persists

TRENTON, NJ (September 9, 2019) – New Jersey teachers make substantially less than similarly educated workers, even when accounting for pensions and health benefits, according to a new report by New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP). Further, salaries tend to be lower in less affluent school districts, making it difficult for them to attract and maintain highly-qualified teachers.

“This report paints a troubling picture for the state: if you’re a college graduate and decide to become a teacher in New Jersey, you will suffer a wage penalty, especially if you’re a woman,” said report author Mark Weber, PhD, NJPP’s Special Analyst for Education Policy. “If we want the best people possible teaching our children, New Jersey can no longer afford to undervalue its teachers. The state and local school districts alike must find ways to provide competitive compensation packages that will attract great candidates into the profession.”

The report, New Jersey’s Teacher Workforce, 2019: Diversity Lags, Wage Gap Persists, analyzes the state of New Jersey’s teacher corps on the heels of a new school year. It finds that New Jersey teachers with a bachelor’s degree earn 14.5 percent less than their non-teacher peers. This gap is even wider for teachers with a master’s degree, as they earn 17.3 percent less than similarly educated non-teachers. Women who teach suffer a more significant wage penalty, which is only partially explained by the gender pay gap.

The report also finds that the state’s teacher corps is not representative of New Jersey’s diverse student body, despite research linking teacher diversity and student achievement. White women account for 66 percent of New Jersey’s teachers, despite comprising a mere 22 percent of the state’s students.