Teacher David Dimbo in classroom with students

Connecticut Teacher Income

As a Connecticut teacher, you’ll receive a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits and opportunities to grow your career. We'll tell you everything you need to know. Read on, or download the full report.

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The median teacher salary is around $79,742, and most teacher incomes are on the rise. From 2019 to 2020, CT’s average teacher salaries rose by 5.5 percent. (1) That’s one of the fastest-growing salaries in the nation!  

On this page, you'll find everything you need to know about salary and benefits for CT teacher jobs

Get information on:

  • Average teacher incomes and how you can increase your teaching salary.
  • Salaries for other popular professions in CT.
  • Benefits, funding and support for CT teachers.
  • Job security for CT teachers.
  • Career growth for teachers.

How Much Do Teachers Make In Connecticut?

Each district has its own teacher salary. In general, your teacher salary will be determined by your experience level, the type of certificate you earn and your location in the state.

Your starting teacher salary, or entry level salary, is how much you’ll make in your first school year right after your teaching program. Across the nation, first-year teacher salaries are on the rise.

According to the National Education Association, the national average starting salary for 2019-2020 had “an increase of 2.5% over 2018-2019. When adjusted for inflation, this marks the largest annual increase in starting pay since before the Great Recession.”

In Connecticut, like most states, starting salaries vary by district. You’ll also earn a higher starting salary with a master’s degree than you will with a bachelor’s.

In 2020, Connecticut's average teacher starting salary was $46,905. (2)  The chart below shows samples of 2021-2022 salaries for entry level teachers around Connecticut.

District

First-year salary for teacher with a bachelor's degree

First-year salary for teacher with a master's degree

Bridgeport Public Schools$45,591$46,880
Hartford Public Schools$48,191$52,553
New Haven Public Schools$45,357$47,551
Norwich Public Schools$48,918$50,827

To see more salaries around the state, check out the district profiles at our Schools & Community page.

Did you know—Connecticut has the fifth highest average teacher salary in the nation!

Average salary refers to what all teachers make, on average. That includes people who have been in the job for years. Connecticut’s average teacher salary in 2021 was $79,742. (2) 

The chart below shows sample salaries for Connecticut teachers with a decade of experience and a master’s degree.

District

Salary for teacher with 10 years of experience and a master’s degree

Bridgeport Public Schools$69,328
Hartford Public Schools$76,264
New Haven Public Schools$66,538
Norwich Public Schools$73,630

To see more salaries around the state, check out the district profiles at our Schools & Community

Teacher Salaries and Cost of Living

As you compare your job with salaries around Connecticut, it’s good to factor in the cost of living in your region. You might earn a lower total amount as a rural teacher than you would in a large city—but remember, your daily expenses will also be lower in a rural area.

Extra financial supports, like loan forgiveness and housing assistance programs, can also help you build a comfortable life as a teacher.

 

There are a number of ways you can increase your teacher salary on the job, including advanced degrees, leading extracurriculars and pursuing advanced certifications. 

Incentives for Advanced Credentials

Districts will offer a higher paying job to teachers with advanced degrees, such as a master’s or doctorate. 

You can also earn bonuses when you earn your National Board Certification:

  • An additional $3,500 per year in Hartford (3)
  • An additional $2,500 one time bonus in Stamford (4)

Bonuses for Extracurriculars 

Most districts offer extra pay for teachers who lead certain extracurriculars, especially at the middle school and high school levels. These stipends are usually for staple extracurriculars, such as yearbook, choir or athletics. 

Stipends vary depending on the activity and your district, but extra pay for these leadership roles ranges from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

Teach in a shortage area, such as math or special education

  • An extra $5,000 in Hartford (3)
  • Earn third year teacher pay in your first year in Waterbury (5)

See if your district offers these bonuses!

How teachers earn extra.

A Connecticut teacher sits next to students in class.

Interested in coaching the chess club or earning an advanced degree? You can increase your teaching salary more quickly by leading extracurricular activities, earning a master's degree, or pursuing advanced certifications.

 

How much do similar professions make in Connecticut?

Salary numbers are important information, but you may also be wondering how teacher incomes compare to other professions. 

Among professions that require a bachelor’s or master’s degree, Connecticut teacher salaries are comparable to or even higher than many other fields. Plus, teachers usually work just 180-190 days annually—compared to 260 work days a year in most other fields. 

Compare average salaries and work days across the state (6):

Industry

Job

Day of work annually

Average Salary

EducationTeacher185    
$78K
Business and FinanceTax Preparer260$60K
Social ServicesCommunity Health Worker260$67K
LawParalegal or Legal Assistant260$56K
Art and DesignGraphic Designer260$63K
HealthcareRegistered Nurse260$85K
TechnologyWeb Developer 260$86K

Benefits for Teachers

In Connecticut teachers receive comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance—plus vacation time, secure retirement plans and vacation time.

In Connecticut, you’ll receive retirement funds through the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System. The longer you’ve worked in the school system, the more you’ll receive in retirement. If you’ve put in 20 years of local service as a teacher, you can retire with full benefits at age 60. (5)

Vacation days will depend on your district, but in general you can expect: 

  • Spring break
  • December holiday break
  • National holidays off
  • Paid personal & sick days during the school year

As you probably know, teachers also get a long summer break. Teachers use this time to travel, explore professional development, relax or work elsewhere. Some districts offer summer positions for teachers, such as summer school classes or curriculum development jobs.

You can increase your knowledge and your pay through additional classes after you become a teacher. Many Connecticut school districts offer tuition reimbursement and paid professional development leave for teachers.

Tuition reimbursement can cover anywhere from three to six credit hours. Your district may also cover leave and expenses for you to pursue professional development such as conferences or trainings.

Building your skills can increase both your knowledge and your pay. It also helps districts retain top-notch educators—so it’s a win-win for everyone.  

Teacher Loan Forgiveness benefits public school teachers with federal student loans. To qualify, you’ll need to: 

Teachers in certain shortage areas, including math, science and special education can receive up to $17,500. If you teach a different subject, you can still get up to $5,000 in forgiven loans. 

Perkins Loan Forgiveness

You can get up to 100% of your Perkins loans forgiven if you teach a shortage area subject in a school that serves low-income students. 

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

If you’ve worked full-time in a public service field for 10 years, you may qualify to have your remaining student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Qualifying fields include government service, nonprofits and public education.

Alliance District Teacher Loan Subsidy Program

The Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA) is an organization that offers low-interest loans for eligible students. 

If you have at least $5,000 in private student loans, you may also qualify for CHESLA’s Alliance District Teacher Loan Subsidy (ADTLS) Program. If you teach in one of Connecticut’s 33 highest need school districts (also called Alliance Districts), you can: 

  • Refinance up to $25,000 in private student loans.
  • Receive a 3% interest rate subsidy.
  • Get new interest rates of 0.75-2.49%, including the 3% subsidy. 

What does a 3% interest rate subsidy mean? Basically, as long as you teach in an Alliance District school, your interest rate will go down by 3% on top of your refinanced interest rate. if you stop teaching in an Alliance District school, you’ll keep your refinancing, but your interest rate will increase by 3%. 

Get more information about the ADTLS Program and eligibility requirements.

Buying a house is expensive, but there are resources to help teachers find a home in the community where they teach.

Good Neighbor Next Door

The federal government created Good Neighbor Next Door to contribute to community revitalization and to support people in service professions like teaching. The U.S. Department of Housing and Development offers a discount of 50% from the list price of qualifying homes.

Connecticut Teachers Mortgage Assistance

Connecticut Teachers Mortgage Assistance is designed to help teachers buy a home in Connecticut. How does it work? The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) offers:

  • An additional 0.125% off already below-market interest rate loans. This benefit helps teachers in subject shortage areas or teachers working in high-needs districts become homeowners in the communities they serve. 
  • 0.250% off of mortgage rates for teachers of color who are first-time homebuyers or who have not owned a home in the past three school years. (Note: The home must be your primary residence. Investment or vacation properties are not allowed.)

Homes for Heroes

Homes for Heroes assists educators by making the home buying, selling or refinancing process easier (and saving teachers money in the process)! Learn more about Homes for Heroes.

 

Now is a great time to become a teacher. Teachers are in high demand across Connecticut, and the number of teaching opportunities is projected to grow in the coming years.

How Much Job Security Will I Have as a Teacher?

Teacher writing at chalkboard

Now is a great time to become a teacher. Teachers are in high demand across Connecticut, and the number of teaching opportunities is projected to grow in the coming years. (8) 

You’ll have extra job security if you get licensed in a hard-to-fill subject area. In Connecticut, hard-to-fill areas include:

  • Bilingual education (elementary or secondary)
  • Math and science (middle and high school)
  • Special education (all grades)
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL, all grades)
  • World languages (middle and high school)

Find a full list of shortage areas on our About Certification page.

Career Growth for Teachers

Your teaching journey doesn’t necessarily need to start and end in the classroom. As an educator, you can grow your career—and your salary—by moving into an advanced teaching role, getting licensed to teach additional subjects, becoming a school or district leader, working on education policy… The sky’s the limit! 

Want to learn more about career growth possibilities for teachers? Visit our Teacher Career Path Guide for more ideas and options. 

Want to stay in the classroom? 

As a classroom teacher, you can grow into specialized leadership roles, such as a peer observer or mentor teacher position. Mentor teachers are key leaders to help student teachers and early career teachers build their skills. 

These leadership roles also come with extra pay. For example, you could earn:

  • $500 per mentee per year in Waterbury (5)
  • $600 per mentee per year in Torrington (9)
  • $1,231 per year in Stamford (4)

Interested in opportunities outside the classroom? 

After you have some teaching experience under your belt, you might be curious about shifting your career focus. School or district leadership positions can be a great next step. Assistant principals, principals, curriculum coordinators and superintendents all help Connecticut schools and districts run smoothly to support teachers and students. 

These administrative roles also come with their own salary schedules and salary bumps. For example, you could earn: 

  • $121K-$146K to be an Elementary Principal in Bridgeport (10)
  • $118K-$148K to be an Assistant Principal in New Haven (11)
  • $131K-$147K to be a middle school Principal in Norwich (12)

Have more questions about teaching in Connecticut? A Teach Connecticut coach can tell you all about teacher salaries, teaching programs and more. Visit the TEACH Connecticut coaching page to set up a free coaching session.  

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References

  1. Will, Madeline. “Teacher Salaries Are Increasing. See How Your State Compares.” Education Week. April 26, 2021.
  2. National Education Association. “Teacher Pay and Spending: How Does Your State Rank?” April 23, 2021.
  3. “Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the Hartford Board of Education and The Hartford Federation of Teachers, Local No. 1018, AFT, AFL-CIO.” July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2022.
  4. “Agreement Between the Stamford Board of Education and the Stamford Education Association.” July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2021. 
  5. "Written Agreement Between the Waterbury Board of Education and the Waterbury Teachers' Association, CEA-NEA." 2019 - 2023.
  6. Salary Finder. CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor. CareerOneStop.org.
  7. “Connecticut Teachers’ Retirement Board Benefit Estimator.” CT.gov. 
  8. Fastest Growing Occupations in Connecticut, All Levels. Connecticut Department of Labor. CTDOL.state.ct.us.
  9. “Agreement Between the Torrington Board of Education and the Torrington Education Association.” July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2021.
  10. "Agreement Between Bridgeport Board of Education and Bridgeport Council of Administrators and Supervisors, American Federation of School Administrators, Local 46, AFL-CIO." 2019 - 2022.
  11. "Superintendent's Proposed Budget Expenditures." New Haven Public Schools. 2020 - 2021.
  12. "Agreement Between Norwich Board of Education and Norwich School Administrators Association." July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2021.