In the state of Delaware, three things determine the salary increases for the Delaware certified teacher that were agreed upon by the Department of Education and the representatives for the teachers. There is an approved list of education classes teachers can take with the promise that they will be given professional growth salary increments. There are also in-demand subjects with a more pressing need for teachers, such as math or science, and the process of selection for becoming a teacher in Delaware in one of those at-need classes. Sometimes teachers with previous experience are asked to fill these positions, and they must take minimal preparation classes, in order to have instructional proficiency in the subject. That process, too, warrants higher pay.
The Department of Education has proven it can train educators for a teaching certification in Delaware and staff them in positions with the confidence that state programs have produced highly-qualified teachers. While there is no large discrepancy between the state’s annual mean wage, and what teachers earn in the rest of the nation, Delaware does dip a little.
| Occupation | Annual mean wage in Delaware | Annual mean wage in US |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | $25,050 | $30,150 |
| Kindergarten Teachers Except Special Education | $53,700 | $52,350 |
| Elementary School Teachers Except Special Education | $56,050 | $55,270 |
| Middle School Teachers Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $54,420 | $55,780 |
| Secondary School Teachers Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $55,970 | $56,760 |
| Special Education Teachers Preschool Kindergarten and Elementary School | $58,780 | $56,460 |
| Special Education Teachers Middle School | $56,740 | $58,420 |
| Special Education Teachers Secondary School | $59,350 | $59,080 |
Teaching salaries are often determined by the region in which a teacher works. For teachers in compliance with the teaching requirements in Delaware, the numbers suggest that the higher salaries for teaching jobs are not in the city, though the numbers are not far from the state average.
| City | Annual mean wage in area |
| Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division | $52,360 |
| Sussex County Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $50,680 |
Helpful References
- Delaware Department of Education
- State of Delaware Data (Student and Teacher Demographics)
- Approved Professional Development Clusters
- Knowledge, Skills, and Responsibility Based Salary Supplements for Educators
- Professional Growth Salary Increments
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics Query System