Illinois · reported schedule
ESD 159 teacher salary
- ESD 159 starts a teacher with a bachelor's degree at $49,758 and tops that lane at $109,965 after 40 years.
- With a master's the schedule starts at $52,700 and reaches $117,649 after 40 years.
- The highest salary anywhere on the schedule is $123,123, reached at 40 years of service.
- ESD 159 enrolls 1,648 students.
- These are the reference points Illinois collects from the district, for 2025-26. They are not the full step grid.
What the schedule pays
| Lane | Starting | Maximum | Years to max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | $49,758 | $109,965 | 40 |
| Master's | $52,700 | $117,649 | 40 |
| Master's + 30 | $54,797 | $123,123 | – |
The district reports its current agreement expiring 6/2028.
Where it stands in the state
Of the 873 Illinois districts reporting a starting figure, ESD 159's $49,758 ranks 296th; the median is $47,000, so it is $2,758 above it.
Its top reported figure, $123,123, ranks 142nd of 866 against a median of $92,247.
A master's degree adds $2,942 at the start (5.9%).
The bachelor's lane grows 121.0% over 40 years, about $1,505 a year.
Illinois districts of similar size, by the figures they report
| District | Students | Starting | Top |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESD 159 | 1,648 | $49,758 | $123,123 |
| Roxana CUSD 1 | 1,655 | $50,252 | $113,605 |
| Lake Forest SD 67 | 1,657 | $55,770 | $162,968 |
| Riverside-Brookfield Twp SD 208 | 1,665 | $59,000 | $155,000 |
| Carbondale ESD 95 | 1,618 | $52,850 | $109,517 |
| Monticello CUSD 25 | 1,681 | $47,253 | $98,077 |
Where this comes from
Illinois State Board of Education, Teacher Salary Study publishes Every district's salary schedule in reference points (Teacher Salary Study 2025-26), which every Illinois district files each year. The full step-and-lane grid is published by the district itself; this page carries the figures the state collects, which is what the salary-estimate sites do not have.