Illinois · reported schedule
Union SD 81 teacher salary
- Union SD 81 starts a teacher with a bachelor's degree at $54,980 and tops that lane at $78,063 after 19 years.
- With a master's the schedule starts at $57,336 and reaches $102,465 after 29 years.
- The highest salary anywhere on the schedule is $111,842, reached at 29 years of service.
- Union SD 81 enrolls 128 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 | $54,980 | $78,063 | 19 |
| Master's | $57,336 | $102,465 | 29 |
| Master's + 30 | $59,192 | $111,842 | – |
The district reports its current agreement expiring 6/2027.
Where it stands in the state
Of the 873 Illinois districts reporting a starting figure, Union SD 81's $54,980 ranks 116th; the median is $47,000, so it is $7,980 above it.
Its top reported figure, $111,842, ranks 202nd of 866 against a median of $92,247.
A master's degree adds $2,356 at the start (4.3%).
The bachelor's lane grows 42.0% over 19 years, about $1,215 a year.
Illinois districts of similar size, by the figures they report
| District | Students | Starting | Top |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union SD 81 | 128 | $54,980 | $111,842 |
| Lick Creek CCSD 16 | 129 | $43,908 | $61,189 |
| Opdyke-Belle-Rive CCSD 5 | 138 | $54,493 | $83,791 |
| Gardner S Wilmington Twp HSD 73 | 142 | $45,006 | $99,918 |
| Akin CCSD 91 | 112 | $53,232 | $90,941 |
| Bethel SD 82 | 145 | $54,144 | $87,809 |
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.