Labor Costs

Labor costs are typically higher in public schools than in nonpublic schools or private schools, even for similarly qualified teachers. For example, in 1993-94, the average salary for a teacher with a Master’s degree and twenty-years experience was $25,189 in private schools compared to $37,213 in public-schools—a difference of 48 percent. Moreover, public-school teachers also receive more generous benefits than do private-school teachers.¹²⁰