Education

Underpaid? Join the Club

June 1, 2015

Brandon Dutcher, J. Scott Moody

They work long hours, often spending a great deal of personal time reading and marking up papers. Sometimes they spend their own money for books or supplies. Why do they persevere? Because they believe Oklahoma must have an educated citizenry. And yet, compensation for these dedicated professionals ranks a lowly 38th in the nation. God bless Oklahoma’s journalists.

We bring up this topic of journalist compensation in order to provide some desperately needed context to the oft-heard complaint that teacher pay in Oklahoma falls near the bottom in 50-state rankings (a complaint, by the way, which Steve Anderson challenges on the facing page). While we certainly believe that good teachers deserve to be paid more—while bad teachers deserve to be paid less—our response to complaints of low pay is twofold.

First, it must be pointed out that Oklahoma is a relatively low-income state. In 2013, Oklahoma had the 32nd highest private-sector compensation in the country. So it should come as no huge surprise that, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, our elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers ranked 47th nationally in pay.

But it’s not just Oklahoma’s teachers who rank near the bottom. So do Oklahoma’s accountants (36th), pharmacists (39th), and chief executives (39th). For that matter, so do our butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers (46th, 49th, and 30th).

Indeed, so do nearly all of the most common occupations in the state (based on total employment) in 2014: general and operations managers (36th); secretaries (47th); general office clerks (39th); janitors and cleaners (43rd); cashiers (45th); bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (44th); truck drivers (39th); registered nurses (41st); waiters and waitresses (36th); nursing assistants (46th); maintenance ad repair workers (44th); stock clerks (39th); and licensed practical nurses (40th).

The bottom line: Most Oklahomans receive lower pay than their counterparts in other states. Few of our occupations are near the top in the 50-state rankings. We simply cannot afford to compensate teachers like, say, Connecticut.

Second, while it’s true that incomes are lower in Oklahoma than in other states, so is our cost of living. According to the ACCRA cost of living index, Oklahoma’s cost of living ranges from 3.8 percent (Lawton) to 16.2 percent (Norman) below the national average in 2013.

In fact, of the 12 areas surveyed in Oklahoma, the average cost of living was 10 percent below the national average. This means Oklahomans can buy more goods and services—such as homes, cars, and health care—with their income. It is cheaper to live in Oklahoma, so it’s not reasonable to expect Connecticut-style pay scales for teachers.

In short, the conversation surrounding teacher pay is often too simplistic. Context is important.