What is the starting salary for a elementary school teacher in Florida?

Question

Compared to somwhere farther north?

Answer 1

It depends on your school district.  Each district has a different supplement to the State salary based on cost of living and other factors.  You can check salaries in your state from the state DPI website and then check the supplement from the school district's website.

I taught High-School there a few years ago, and at that time, teachers started around $30,000.

Florida ranks about 29th in average salary for teachers.  Connecticut, Michigan, and more Northern states usually rank highest, and pay starts to drop off the further South you go.  I teach in North Carolina now, and I took about a 20% pay cut when I moved from Florida.  

However, you must consider cost-of-living when thinking about pay.  Even though I make less than I did in Florida, I live in a much nicer house and a better neighborhood that I would never have been able to afford in Ft. Lauderdale, where I was living.