Position Statement: Competitive Salaries for Education Employees

I believe West Virginia must make a sustained, long‑term commitment to improving education employee salaries if we are serious about strengthening our public school system. While recent salary increases are appreciated, they have not made West Virginia competitive with surrounding states or the national average.

According to 2025 data, teachers in Maryland earn an average salary of $84,338, Pennsylvania $76,961, Ohio $68,236, Virginia $66,327, and Kentucky $58,325. West Virginia teachers earn an average of just $55,516, ranking 48th in the nation and trailing every neighboring state. This persistent gap continues to undermine our ability to recruit and retain highly qualified educators.

The impact of uncompetitive salaries is evident across the state. School systems are facing an overwhelming number of teaching positions without certified teachers, and enrollment in teacher preparation programs at our colleges and universities continues to decline. Fewer students are choosing education as a career because salaries in West Virginia do not reflect the importance, responsibility, or professionalism of the work.

One‑time or single‑year salary increases have not kept pace with the multi‑year salary commitments made by surrounding states. Without a predictable, sustained approach to compensation, West Virginia will continue to lose experienced educators to neighboring states and struggle to attract future generations into the profession.

I support Education West Virginia’s position that competitive salaries are essential to student success and educational quality. Yes, I am committed to supporting a multi‑year salary increase plan designed to move education employees toward competitive levels with surrounding states. This commitment must be deliberate, sustained, and focused on long‑term improvement rather than short‑term fixes.

Highly qualified educators are a critical component of preparing West Virginia students to succeed in a global economy. Investing in competitive salaries is an investment in our workforce, our students, and the future of our state. I will continue to advocate for a long‑term salary strategy that respects education employees and strengthens West Virginia’s public education system.

My Top Five Priorities for Education Salaries

1. Commit to a multi‑year salary increase plan written into law, not one‑time or single‑year raises.

2. Move West Virginia salaries toward regional competitiveness, using surrounding states as the benchmark.

3. Address certified teacher shortages by making educator pay competitive enough to recruit and retain qualified professionals.

4. Rebuild the educator pipeline by making education a viable career choice for college students through competitive compensation.

5. Ensure salary increases result in real take‑home pay, coordinated with benefit stability so gains are not offset by rising costs.

Supporting public education and its educators is about fairness, respect, and responsibility. I will always stand with West Virginia’s educators, and support staff fighting to ensure they are adequately compensated and can retire with the security and dignity they deserve.

Thanks for your time,

Rob Vincent

“Honest work, Real solutions, A Better West Virginia”