Survey: Teachers Work More Hours Per Week Than Other Working Adults

Improving pay, everyone agrees, is critical to recruit and retain educators. But is higher pay the only key to curbing staff shortages? A new survey of public school teachers by the RAND Corporation suggests that unless attention is also paid to improving the number of hours worked and overall working conditions, many teachers may continue to head toward the exits.  

In the new national survey released this week, K-12 public school teachers report feeling overworked and underpaid. On average, they estimate working 53 hours a week—seven more hours than the typical working adult (RAND conducted a separate survey of all working adults). Only 24 percent of teachers are satisfied with their total weekly hours worked, compared with 55 percent of working adults. 

The survey also found that about a quarter of teachers’ time is uncompensated, and 66 percent say their base salary is inadequate, compared with 39 percent of working adults.  According to the 2023 NEA Rankings and Estimates report, the national average public school teacher salary in 2021-22 was $66,745. When adjusted for inflation, that represents a decline of 6.4 percent, or $3,644, over the past decade.

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