Annual salary
$68,577
District of Columbia · salary schedule · 2026-27
District of Columbia Public Schools salary schedule, 2026-27
ET-15 teacher salary schedule, 10-month (FY 2027, effective October 4, 2026). The grid below is the schedule as published, every cell; pick a education level and step to see the annual, monthly and per-day figure and the next five steps.
- District of Columbia Public Schools's 2026-27 salary schedule starts at $68,577 (Bachelors, step Step 1) and tops out at $141,761 (Masters + 60/PhD, step Longevity 2 (21+ yrs service)), per District of Columbia Public Schools (effective ).
- A teacher on the bachelor's column (Bachelors) starts at $68,577 and reaches $108,740 at the top of that column.
- The grid has 5 education level columns and 16 step rows; the highest cell is reached at step Longevity 2 (21+ yrs service).
- District of Columbia Public Schools enrolled 51,294 students in 2023-24, the 1st-largest district in District of Columbia by NCES enrollment.
ET-15 teacher salary schedule, 10-month (FY 2027, effective October 4, 2026)
| Step \ Education Level | Bachelors | Bachelors + 15 | Bachelors + 30/Masters | Masters + 30 | Masters + 60/PhD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $68,577 | $70,862 | $73,149 | $75,436 | $80,005 |
| Step 2 | $68,813 | $71,982 | $74,835 | $78,104 | $81,375 |
| Step 3 | $70,224 | $73,461 | $78,104 | $81,375 | $84,639 |
| Step 4 | $72,817 | $76,039 | $81,375 | $84,639 | $87,922 |
| Step 5 | $75,385 | $78,619 | $84,639 | $87,922 | $91,194 |
| Step 6 | $77,971 | $81,208 | $87,922 | $91,194 | $92,616 |
| Step 7 | $81,256 | $84,487 | $91,985 | $95,244 | $98,523 |
| Step 8 | $84,516 | $87,762 | $96,030 | $99,316 | $102,589 |
| Step 9 | $87,799 | $91,030 | $100,102 | $103,369 | $106,642 |
| Step 10 | $91,054 | $94,311 | $104,148 | $107,418 | $110,703 |
| Step 11 | $94,326 | $97,566 | $108,224 | $111,468 | $114,745 |
| Step 12-15 | $100,879 | $104,133 | $116,335 | $119,602 | $123,229 |
| Step 16 | $108,740 | $115,246 | $126,892 | $130,229 | $134,478 |
| Longevity 1 (17-18 yrs service) | $128,349 | $131,683 | $135,932 | ||
| Longevity 2 (19-20 yrs service) | $130,776 | $134,112 | $138,362 | ||
| Longevity 2 (21+ yrs service) | $134,176 | $137,512 | $141,761 |
highest celllowest cell16 step rows x 5 education level columnshover or tap a cell to trace its row and column
Find my cell
Per month (12)
$5,714.75
Next 5 steps in this education level
| Step | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| Step 2 | $68,813 | +$236 |
| Step 3 | $70,224 | +$1,647 |
| Step 4 | $72,817 | +$4,240 |
| Step 5 | $75,385 | +$6,808 |
| Step 6 | $77,971 | +$9,394 |
Worked example as rendered: Bachelors, step Step 1 = $68,577 a year, $5,714.75 a month spread over 12 months. Monthly and daily figures are arithmetic on the published annual cell, before any supplement, stipend or deduction.
Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) ET-15 salary schedule published by DCPS as part of the FY2025-FY2028 pay schedules; the FY 2027 table shown here takes effect October 4, 2026 and carries a 3.0% adjustment over FY 2026.
This is the 10-month schedule. The same document also publishes 11-month and 12-month ET-15 tables at higher rates, plus FY 2025, FY 2026 and FY 2028 tables.
The last three rows are the document's longevity placements, which the schedule prints as separate columns after Step 16 for 17-18, 19-20 and 21+ years of service. They are marked N/A (null here) for the Bachelors and Bachelors + 15 lanes.
Step 12-15 is a single printed column covering steps 12 through 15.
- Soft spot: The document does not state contract days for the 10-month schedule, so work_days is null.
- Soft spot: Masters + 60/PhD Step 6 is printed as $92,616, only about 1.0% above the FY 2026 figure ($91,716), where every other cell rises 3.0% (about $94,467 expected). The same document's FY 2027 11-month table prints $103,913 for that cell, which is 1.1 times $94,467, so the 10-month figure is likely a typo in the source. It is reproduced here as printed.
- Soft spot: FY 2027 begins October 4, 2026, so the first weeks of the 2026-27 school year are still paid on the FY 2026 table.
How this schedule moves
On the Bachelors column a teacher moves from $68,577 at step Step 1 to $108,740 at step Step 16: 12 step increases worth $3,347 each on average, 59% in total.
The largest single increase on that column is $7,861, between step Step 12-15 and step Step 16.
The highest-paid column, Masters + 60/PhD, starts at $80,005 and tops out at $141,761, 30% above the top of the Bachelors column.
Across all 3,959 district grids indexed nationally, that starting figure sits at the 95th percentile and the top cell at the 96th percentile.
Column by column
| Education Level | First step | Top | Step moves to top | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors | $68,577 | $108,740 | 12 | 59% |
| Bachelors + 15 | $70,862 | $115,246 | 12 | 63% |
| Bachelors + 30/Masters | $73,149 | $134,176 | 15 | 83% |
| Masters + 30 | $75,436 | $137,512 | 15 | 82% |
| Masters + 60/PhD | $80,005 | $141,761 | 15 | 77% |
Against indexed districts nationally of similar size
| District | Students | Year | Starting | Master's start | Top cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Public Schools | 51,294 | 2026-27 | $68,577 | – | $141,761 |
| St. Johns County School District | 51,434 | 2024-25 | $48,642 | – | $53,540 |
| Rutherford County Schools | 51,595 | 2026-27 | $50,556.10 | $54,853.37 | $97,748.68 |
| Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County | 50,929 | 2025-26 | $47,600 | – | $91,912 |
| Garland Independent School District | 51,659 | 2026-27 | $63,000 | – | $80,736 |
| Omaha Public Schools | 51,693 | 2026-27 | $51,380 | $58,023 | $98,432 |
Starting pay is the first step of the bachelor's column where the schedule has one, otherwise the lowest first-step cell. Enrollment is NCES 2023-24. Years differ where districts publish on different cycles.
Questions people ask
What is the starting teacher salary in District of Columbia Public Schools?
$68,577 on the education level Bachelors at step Step 1 of the 2026-27 schedule (District of Columbia Public Schools). The lowest cell on the whole grid is $68,577 (Bachelors).
What is the top of the District of Columbia Public Schools salary schedule?
$141,761, at step Longevity 2 (21+ yrs service) on Masters + 60/PhD (2026-27). That is the highest published cell before any stipend, longevity or supplement not printed on the grid.
How long does it take to reach the top of the District of Columbia Public Schools salary schedule?
On the Bachelors column the top figure, $108,740, is reached at step Step 16, 12 step increases after step Step 1 (2026-27 schedule).
See every District of Columbia district on the District of Columbia page. Compare this district on the comparison pages or the rankings.