How Chester, Mendham Teacher Salaries Compare In Morris County

CHESTER/MENDHAM, NJ — Teachers in the West Morris Regional High School District made a median annual salary of about $84,110 during the 2022–23 budget year, according to state education officials. But how does that compare to other local school districts?

Patch recently looked at data from the New Jersey Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending to determine how much each school district pays its teachers on average.

In New Jersey, the median public school teacher salary last year was $77,943.

Teachers in Mendham Township earned $76,330, but those in the borough earned only $70,010. Teachers in the Chester school district earned $74,960 per year.

Teachers in K–6 schools earn the least overall, state data shows, earning a median $67,577 salary. And, those in high schools with only grades 9–12 earn a median salary of $91,520, state data shows.

According to data from the yearly state report cards, the top-paying districts also have teachers with greater experience than the state average.

The compensation of a teacher is determined by numerous factors, including the amount of experience each teacher has, their own education level, the size of the staff, the education level they are teaching and the cost of living in the district.

On average, New Jersey teachers have 12.5 years of experience in public schools and 11.3 years of experience in their district, the most recent state report card data (from 2021/22) shows.

See how all Mendham and Chester schools rank among others in Morris County:

1. Morris Hills Regional: $102,355
2. Kinnelon Borough: $96,022
3. Mountain Lakes Borough: $92,605
4. Parsippany-Troy Hills Township: $89,480
5. Madison Borough: $84,661
6. West Morris Regional: $84,110.00
7. Butler Borough: $82,605.00
8. Hanover Park Regional: $81,692
9. Boonton Township: $81,346
10. Montville Township: $80,632
11. Morris County Vocational: $79,568
12. Randolph Township: $79,444
13. Washington Township: $79,310
14. School District Of The Chathams: $79,095
15. Hanover Township: $79,060.00
16. Jefferson Township: $77,849.00
17. Mount Olive Township: $77,185.00
18. Mendham Township: $76,330.00
19. Chester Township: $74,960.00
20. Mendham Borough: $70,010.00

Five of the top-paying school districts are in North Jersey, including the highest-paying district, the Northern Valley Regional High School District in Bergen County.

With reporting from Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, Patch Staff