After accounting for teacher and school characteristics, each $1,000 increase in cost-of-living-adjusted salary is associated with about a 0.34 percentage-point decrease in turnover probability¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associationalr3·q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q2 i? Predicted turnover fell from 17.6% to 10.9% as salaries rose from $50,000 to around $70,000; working multiple jobs and holding student loans were associated with higher turnover. → Tan 2026
Evidence¶
Tan 2026¶
Tan, T., Wei, W., Carver-Thomas, D., & García, E. (2026). Teacher turnover in the United States: Who moves, who leaves, and why. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/248.479
q2 · i? · associational · r3
Multivariate regression analysis combining NTPS/TFS teacher and school characteristics, reported in the report's summary of its multivariate results. The report states turnover probability "decreased by about 0.34 percentage points" per $1,000, with predicted turnover falling from 17.6% to 10.9% across the $50,000–$70,000 range.
"For every $1,000 increase in salaries (adjusted for cost of living), the probability of turnover decreased by about 0.34 percentage points, on average. For example, the probability of turnover decreased by nearly 40%—from 17.6% to 10.9%—when salaries increased from $50,000 to around $70,000."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Districts' prior-year teacher turnover was negatively associated with certification rates, and certification rates tend to be higher where beginning teacher salaries are higher — related
- Teacher attrition rose from 5.1% in 1992 to 8.4% in 2005 and has hovered around 8% since — related
- Turnover rates are about 50% higher in Title I schools than in non-Title I schools — related
- Instructional expenditures show the largest consistent association with achievement, with roughly 84% of variation in spending effectiveness driven by class size reductions, teacher salary increases, and reduced teacher turnover — related
- Louisiana teachers of color report working conditions, not salary, as primary reasons for leaving high-need schools — related
- Michigan's inflation-adjusted teacher salaries fell more than 20% between 1999 and 2019, the second largest decline in the country — related
- The value of the same teacher wage differs across states because cost of living differs, so the report adjusts starting salaries using Regional Price Parities — related
- State average starting teacher salaries in 2019-20 spanned bands from below $35,000 to $50,000 or above — related
- High teacher turnover rates may be costly to school districts, disrupt operations, and lower student achievement — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
salary-associated-with-lower-turnover |
title |
After accounting for teacher and school characteristics, each $1,000 increase in cost-of-living-adjusted salary is associated with about a 0.34 percentage-point decrease in turnover probability |
description |
After accounting for teacher and school characteristics, each $1,000 increase in cost-of-living-adjusted salary is associated with about a 0.34 percentage-point decrease in turnover probability |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2026 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-10 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — tan-2026 |
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