“Being a Georgia public educator is among the easiest careers to retire in the top wealthiest percentages of retirees in the United States.”
- Dale Alexander, Certified Financial Planner
Listen as Dale Describes the Long Term Financial Benefits of Teaching in Georgia.
Leading the South
Regionally, Georgia has one of the highest average teacher salaries in the southern United States. Combined with Georgia’s popular Teacher Retirement System (TRS), our state remains committed to advancing the support teachers receive both inside and outside of the classroom.
Teacher Compensation Dashboard provided by the Southern Regional Education Board
Calculating Teacher Pay
Teacher pay in Georgia is impacted by four areas:
- Degrees and certificate level
- Years in the classroom
- State salary schedule
- Local supplements
Each fiscal year, the State Board of Education sets a teacher salary schedule based on the budget approved by the General Assembly and the Governor. This state salary schedule guarantees a base pay for teachers, calculated by years of service, teacher certificate level, and degrees.
Locally, school districts have the option to provide additional supplements on top of the state salary schedule. To calculate your teacher pay, visit the school district’s human resource website and search for their teacher salary schedule. Local districts will have the most accurate information on how to calculate teacher pay based on the combination of the state salary schedule and local supplements.
You can find links to school district HR websites using our Georgia map.
Defined Retirement Plan
The Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) offers a defined benefit plan, guaranteeing a monthly benefit, which is payable for the life of the member and, when applicable, transferable to a member’s spouse or beneficiaries. This pension plan is based on the average of the employee’s two highest salaries multiplied by 2% and the number of years worked.
For example, if the average of a teacher’s two highest salaries is $90,000 and they retire at 30 years of service, multiplied by 2%, they could expect to receive approximately $54,000 per year once they retire until they die. This is an amazing benefit for Georgia educators!
Visit the TRS website to learn more and estimate your retirement benefits using the pension calculator.
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