Jefferson County School District teacher salaries

Jefferson County (JCPS) is a county school district in Kentucky with 6,398 teachers (full-time equivalents).1 A new teacher with a bachelor's degree starts at $49,480, or $56,152 with a master's. The schedule tops out at $97,033 for Rank I teachers with 25 years of experience.

What is the average teacher salary at Jefferson County?

Lowest on the schedule

$49,480

Rank III, 0 years

Average classroom teacher salary1

$79,022

  • $19,167 above the Kentucky district average

Highest on the schedule

$97,033

Rank I, 25 years

Teachers (full-time equivalents)
6,398
Starting salary, bachelor's
$49,480
5th highest of 171 districts
Schedule raise on last year
3%
typical change across the schedule
Average pay rank in Kentucky
2nd
of 171 districts

Jefferson County's teacher salary schedule, 2025-261

Annual salary by rank (columns) and years of experience (rows), as Jefferson County reported it to the Kentucky Department of Education. Rows that repeat the same salaries are folded together.

YearsRank IIIRank IIRank I
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17 to 19
20 to 24
25 to 40

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Tap any salary to see it on the pay climb chart below.

Jefferson County also reports a second salary lane for some ranks, such as 15 graduate hours past a degree or a doctorate. The state's file doesn't say which, so it isn't shown here.

What Rank I, II and III mean for a Kentucky teacher's pay

Kentucky places every teacher in a rank by their education. Higher ranks pay more at every year of experience.2

Rank III
Requires a bachelor's degree and a regular teaching certificate. At Jefferson County it starts at $49,480 and reaches $83,701 after 25 years.
Rank II
Requires a master's degree in an approved field, National Board certification or equivalent continuing education. At Jefferson County it starts at $56,152 and reaches $90,368 after 25 years.
Rank I
Requires Rank II plus a second master's, National Board certification or 30 more graduate hours. At Jefferson County it starts at $62,816 and reaches $97,033 after 25 years.

How fast does teacher pay grow at Jefferson County?

On Rank III, pay rises for 25 years, from $49,480 to $83,701. Pick a rank and years of experience to see the salary and how far it is from the top.

$63,702

a year with 10 years of experience. This rank tops out at $83,701 after 25 years.

$97,033$49,480
0 years40 years
Chosen rankOther ranks

Does Jefferson County pay teachers more than the typical Kentucky district?

Line up all 171 Kentucky districts by average classroom teacher salary. The one in the middle pays $59,250: half pay less, half pay more.

Yes

Jefferson County's average of $79,022 ranks 2nd of 171, above the middle district.

Jefferson County
$60k$80k

Middle district: $59,250

Each bar counts the districts whose average classroom teacher salary falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle district.

Questions about Jefferson County teacher salaries

How much do teachers make at Jefferson County?

Classroom teachers at Jefferson County School District averaged $79,022 in 2025-26, as the district reported it to the Kentucky Department of Education. Its salary schedule runs from $49,480 to $97,033.

What is the starting salary for a new teacher at Jefferson County?

$49,480 for a new teacher with a bachelor's degree (Rank III, 0 years of experience) and $56,152 with a master's degree (Rank II), on the 2025-26 schedule.

What is the highest teacher salary at Jefferson County?

$97,033 a year, for a Rank I teacher with 25 or more years of experience. That's the top of the 2025-26 schedule.

Is teacher pay at Jefferson County high for Kentucky?

Its average classroom teacher salary ranks 2nd of 171 Kentucky school districts. The average across all districts is $59,855.

More Kentucky teacher salaries

Sources for the Jefferson County figures

Salaries are the annual amounts on the district's certified salary schedule, as reported to the state; a district's own published schedule can differ, for example when it covers a different number of work days. The average classroom teacher salary includes pay for contracted extra days and extra duties. Teacher counts are full-time equivalents, so two half-time teachers count as one. Ranks, medians and the raise on last year are our own arithmetic on these figures.

  1. Kentucky Department of Education, School District Personnel Information, 2025-26: Certified Salary Schedule, Average Classroom Teacher Salaries and Yearly FTE for Teachers.
  2. Kentucky Revised Statutes 161.1211, rank classification of teachers, as amended by 2020 Ky. Acts ch. 113 (SB 174): what each rank requires.

How we read the data