Where Are The Top Teacher Salaries in Virginia?

RICHMOND, VA — Several factors can answer questions about student success in a classroom. Before you get to test scores, student-teacher ratios and hours of instruction, the first factor to consider is the salary for the teacher standing in front of the classroom.

Salaries can determine where talented graduates with teaching degrees decide to apply, and it can determine how long they remain in positions with a county or city. Teachers may decide to shop for a better public school system, shift to a private school program or abandon the field altogether.

Teachers are seeing a widening pay gap when compared to their college-educated peers, according to a study released last week by the Economic Police Institute. The think tank found average weekly wages for teachers decreased $30 a week from 1996 to 2015, while other college grads found salaries increased by more than $100 in the same period.

No state in the nation is paying teachers more than their fellow college graduates, and the disparity in Virginia is among the worst, with teachers making less than 67 percent of the average weekly wage of other grads.

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A Virginia Department of Education report in January looked at teacher wages across the commonwealth. Here are the 10 public school systems with the best average salaries in 2015.

1. Arlington County Public Schools: $74,534
2. Alexandria City Public Schools: $73,675
3. Falls Church City Public Schools: $69,686
4. Fairfax County Public Schools: $64,924
5. Loudoun County Public Schools: $64,284
6. Manassas City Public Schools: $64,124
7. Prince William County Public Schools: $63,521
8. Manassas Park City Public Schools: $58,942
9. Charlottesville City Public Schools: $56,214
10. Chesapeake City Public Schools: $56,156

State average: $54,486

See a complete list of salaries from across the state