Arkansas lags in average teacher pay despite LEARNS bump to starting salaries

Arkansas’s teacher pay remains among the lowest in the nation when adjusted for cost of living, despite the LEARNS Act raising the minimum salary to $50,000 in 2023. A Bureau of Legislative Research report presented to lawmakers Monday found Arkansas ranked 36th nationally in average teacher pay in 2025, down from 33rd in 2023 and 30th in 2022. The state also fell to 12th among Southern states in 2025, though it improved slightly compared to its bordering states, ranking fourth in the region. The LEARNS Act, championed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, increased starting salaries from $36,000 and provided up to $10,000 in merit pay for higher earners. Sanders previously highlighted the raise as making Arkansas a national leader for new teachers, a claim supported by a 2024 report from a national education group. However, the Bureau of Legislative Research noted that average teacher salaries across Arkansas districts declined by 8% since 2016 when adjusted for inflation, a smaller drop than the 12% decline before the LEARNS Act. Teacher satisfaction surveys presented conflicting results: 89% of Arkansas teachers reported feeling satisfied in a 2025 state survey, while a legislative staff survey found only slightly over 50% felt supported by administration. Bureau researcher Ryan Moltz cautioned lawmakers about state-by-state comparisons due to variations in data reporting, noting Arkansas may not provide the same level of transparency as other states. The National Education Association’s April 2025 report showed U.S. teachers still earn 4.6% less in inflation-adjusted terms than in 2016-17, despite a 3.5% national salary increase from 2023-24 to 2024-25. Rep. Denise Garner questioned why Arkansas doesn’t supply researchers with the same data as other states, to which Education Department Chief of Staff Courtney Salas-Ford responded that extensive information is available online but denied awareness of specific NEA data requests.