PODCAST:
Aug. 19, 2026 ~ Chris Renwick and Lloyd Jackson talk with Jason Burns, an Education Policy Innovation Collaborative researcher, about a report that found that Michigan teacher pay has declined more than in any other state since 1995.
MICHIGAN ~ A recent study found that the average teacher salary in Michigan has fallen behind inflation, especially compared to the national average.
The Teacher Compensation in Michigan: Recent Trends and Public Opinion report was conducted by the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) at Michigan State University, which determined that when adjusted for inflation, the average teacher salary fell by 29% between 1995 and 2025, the largest decline of any state by a wide margin. That would be $100,064 to $71,023 in 2025 dollars, with Michigan teachers earning more than the national average for decades before this decline.
“Education ranks near the bottom in terms of what a college graduate earned depending on their major,” said Jason Burns, an EPIC researcher, told WJR. “Teachers in Michigan earn about 30%, 29% less than other college-educated workers, and so for someone who’s choosing which career they might want to pursue, financially speaking at least, teaching doesn’t appear to be all that attractive.“
