Northern Valley Regional Tops NJ Teacher Pay With $121,839 Median Salary

Northern Valley Regional had the highest teacher median salary in New Jersey during the 2024-25 school year at $121,839. Seventeen school systems statewide paid educators six-figure median wages, and the Bergen County high school district led them all.

Pascack Valley Regional came in second. Their median salary reached $118,744. Jersey City ranked third at $110,500, marking a 13.18% jump from the prior year.

The statewide median teacher salary hit $82,780 during the 2024-25 school year. That's a 3.2% increase from the previous year. The median means half of educators in a district make more while half make less.

Teachers at Northern Valley Regional had an average of 16.2 years of experience, which helped push up the median pay. The district has held the top spot for at least three consecutive years.

The state's average teacher has over 12 years of experience. In the highest-paying systems, educators average over 15 years.

Morris Hills Regional placed fourth. Their median salary was $110,472. Hackensack City rounded out the top five at $109,845.

Six Bergen County systems made the top 17 list. Other counties represented include Hudson, Morris, Burlington, Atlantic, Sussex, Essex, Cape May, and Somerset.

Lenape Regional came in sixth at $106,469. Atlantic City ranked seventh with $105,695 in median pay.

Cresskill placed eighth at $105,171. River Dell Regional took ninth at $104,848. Mountain Lakes completed the top 10 with $104,095.

The remaining top systems were Ramsey Boro at $103,700, Kittatinny Regional at $102,900, Glen Ridge at $102,882, Ocean City at $102,680, Wallkill Valley Regional at $102,615, Watchung Hills Regional at $102,608, and Northern Highlands Regional High School at $102,471.

Regional school systems and those serving only high schools tend to rank higher on the list compared to small systems or those serving only K-8 schools. Individual pay varies by district. Many educators make more because of their experience and other factors.

The salary data comes from the Taxpayer's Guide to Education Spending. Systems self-report the information, and some did not report salary data for the last school year.