Teacher Salaries In MN: Where Minneapolis Ranks

MINNEAPOLIS — Public school teacher pay is a hot-button issue in Minnesota right now as educators in St. Paul and Minneapolis prepare to strike over salary, class sizes, mental health support, and other issues.

Average teacher pay in Minnesota ranges widely by district and region, and starting salary can be dramatically lower than what a tenured staff member receives.

The average teacher salary in the St. Paul Public School District is $85,457 — second only to a math and science charter school in Rochester — according to 2021 data from the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board.

Educators teaching in more rural parts of Minnesota can expect significantly less. Teachers in St. Louis County, for example, are paid an average of $56,338.

In Minneapolis Public Schools, the average salary is $71,535. However, starting pay in Minneapolis is just $24,000, Minnesota Public Radio reports. The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers hopes to raise starting pay to $35,000.

Here's how Minneapolis stacks up against the rest of the state: