Mendham, Chester Teacher Salaries: How Much Do Educators Earn?

MENDHAM/CHESTER, NJ — In New Jersey, the median public school teacher salary last year was $74,186. However, some districts paid their teachers far less than average.

Patch recently looked at data from the state's 2022 Taxpayers' Guide to Education to determine how much each school district pays its teachers on average.

The Mendham Township School District with a median student-teacher ratio of 9.7, paid its teachers $73,060 (median). The Mendham Borough School District with a median student-teacher ratio of 8.8, paid its teachers $66,295 (median).

The Chester School District with a median student-teacher ratio of 9.4, paid its teachers $70,435 (median). In comparison, the West Morris Regional High School District paid its teachers $82,710 with a median student-teacher ratio of 17.6 (median).

Teacher salaries depend on numerous factors, such as district contracts, seniority and local cost of living. The New Jersey Education Association — the state's largest teacher's union — has pushed for a starting salary of at least $60,000 for educators in its "$60K The First Day" campaign.

New Jersey teachers had among the highest average starting salaries in the nation at $54,053 in the 2020-21 school year, the National Education Association said.

The average starting salary around the nation that school year was $41,770.

Here are the top paying school districts in the state. School district/type: median student-teacher ratio, median teacher salary:

• Northern Valley Regional, 9.1, $115,650
• Pascack Valley Regional, 10.6, $102,945
• Hackensack City, 12.7, $102,491
• Atlantic City, 10.0, $100,645
• Mercer County Special Services School Di, 5.6, $99,175
• Brigantine City, 6.8, $98,739
• Lenape Regional, 11.5, $98,726
• East Orange, 11.7, $98,579
• Wallkill Valley Regional, 12.0, $98,026
• Mountain Lakes Boro, 9.1, $96,924

(With reporting from Josh Bakan, Patch Staff)