Lowest published bachelor’s starting pay → highest published maximum across degree lanes in the districts below. Years and eligibility vary.
Average salary
$70,586NEA 2024-25
Starting salary
$42,222NEA 2024-25
State minimum
$35,000See state terms
Districts sourced
8Official schedules
Ohio teachers averaged $70,586 in 2024-25 per NEA, and the average starting salary was $42,222.
Ohio teachers averaged $70,586 in 2024-25 per NEA, and the average starting salary was $42,222. State law (ORC 3317.13) sets a floor of $35,000 for a new teacher with a bachelor's degree and $38,325 with a master's, but every large district pays well above it through its union contract. Among the eight large districts with readable posted schedules, bachelor's starting pay ranges from $45,671 (Toledo) to $57,862 (Columbus), and the top of the master's lane from $95,649 (Dayton) to $117,784 (Columbus). Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dublin and Pickerington post no current schedule, and South-Western, Westerville and Worthington post theirs only as scans that could not be read.
Hilliard City Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Mason City Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Lakota Local Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Dayton Public Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount.
Step
Bachelor’s
Master’s
Doctorate
1
$54,939
$58,950
$64,152
2
$56,312
$60,444
$65,806
3
$56,312
$60,444
$65,806
4
$58,384
$62,823
$68,185
5
$60,449
$65,196
$70,564
6
$62,977
$68,069
$73,486
7
$65,059
$70,465
$75,882
8
$67,146
$72,866
$78,277
9
$69,240
$75,261
$80,672
10
$71,322
$77,662
$83,073
11
$73,261
$79,892
$85,287
12
$75,343
$82,282
$87,683
13
$78,766
$86,161
$91,666
14
$80,887
$88,600
$94,105
15
$83,018
$91,039
$96,550
16
$83,018
$91,039
$96,550
17
$84,677
$93,319
$98,962
18
$84,677
$93,319
$98,962
19
$86,793
$95,649
$101,439
20
$86,793
$95,649
$101,439
District pay rankings.
Ranked by highest published maximum across degree lanes. Annual base pay, by education level. Years and contract terms can differ; open each schedule before comparing.
Select a column heading to sort. Scroll the table horizontally for more columns. Missing values are marked “Not published”.
Largest districts included in this guide, sorted by published top pay. Starting pay is the bachelor’s entry rate; top pay is the highest published maximum across degree lanes.
━ Bachelor’s start▨ Top pay · all degree lanes
Olentangy Local Schools2026-27
BA start $50,217
Top $131,117
Columbus City Schools2026-27
BA start $57,862
Top $126,445
Hilliard City Schools2026-27
BA start $51,501
Top $115,146
Akron Public Schools2026-27
BA start $48,967
Top $110,392
Mason City Schools2026-27
BA start $52,322
Top $110,295
Lakota Local Schools2026-27
BA start $56,639
Top $106,034
Toledo Public Schools2025-26
BA start $45,671
Top $101,877
Dayton Public Schools2026-27
BA start $54,939
Top $101,439
Cincinnati Public SchoolsYear not published
Schedule not published
Cleveland Metropolitan School DistrictYear not published
Schedule not published
South-Western City SchoolsYear not published
Schedule not published
Dublin City SchoolsYear not published
Schedule not published
Westerville City SchoolsYear not published
Schedule not published
Pickerington Local SchoolsYear not published
Schedule not published
Worthington City SchoolsYear not published
Schedule not published
Annual base salary on a shared zero-based scale. Top pay can require advanced qualifications and many years of service. Missing values are not zero.View district chart data
Published district pay
District
Year
BA start
Top pay
Olentangy Local Schools
2026-27
$50,217
$131,117
Columbus City Schools
2026-27
$57,862
$126,445
Hilliard City Schools
2026-27
$51,501
$115,146
Akron Public Schools
2026-27
$48,967
$110,392
Mason City Schools
2026-27
$52,322
$110,295
Lakota Local Schools
2026-27
$56,639
$106,034
Toledo Public Schools
2025-26
$45,671
$101,877
Dayton Public Schools
2026-27
$54,939
$101,439
Cincinnati Public Schools
Not published
Not published
Not published
Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Not published
Not published
Not published
South-Western City Schools
Not published
Not published
Not published
Dublin City Schools
Not published
Not published
Not published
Westerville City Schools
Not published
Not published
Not published
Pickerington Local Schools
Not published
Not published
Not published
Worthington City Schools
Not published
Not published
Not published
Experience & progression
How pay grows by step
Bachelor’s lane · 5 districts with numeric step data
Columbus City Schools2026-27
Olentangy Local Schools2026-27
Toledo Public Schools2025-26
Akron Public Schools2026-27
Lakota Local Schools2026-27
Lines connect published observations, not estimated salaries for missing steps. A step is not always a year of service. District placement rules and schedule years vary.View step progression data
Average pay describes the workforce; a minimum is a floor subject to state rules. These measures can cover different years and are not equivalent starting offers.View salary context data
State and national salary measures
Measure
Amount
Context
Ohio average
$70,586
NEA 2024-25
State minimum
$35,000
See state minimum terms below
National average
$74,495
Reporting year not published
State minimum salary
$35,000
ORC 3317.13(C), as amended by HB 33 (135th General Assembly, effective Oct. 3, 2023): bachelor's degree $35,000 at 0 years rising to $49,630 at 11 years; master's or higher $38,325 rising to $56,805; less than a bachelor's $30,275 to $36,400; five years of training $36,330 to $52,885. The schedule excludes retirement and sick-leave payments, and the state can withhold funds from a district that pays below it. NEA average salary is FY 2024-25 (Rankings & Estimates, August 2026); starting salary is the NEA Teacher Salary Benchmark, FY 2024-25.
Match the school year, degree lane and credited experience. The published maximum is not a promise of starting placement. Confirm contract days, supplements and eligibility in each district’s official schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find Ohio district salary schedules?
Use the district comparison table on this page to open a district guide and its official salary schedule. Each source is linked with a verification date.
Does a master’s degree change the salary?
Check the master’s lane in the district’s published schedule. Degree supplements and placement rules vary; a missing value here does not mean there is no additional pay.