Rankings · Michigan
Highest paying school districts in Michigan
Ranked from the districts' own published salary schedules, not from survey averages or self-reported figures. Every row links to that district's full step-and-lane grid and the document it was read from.
- The highest starting bachelor's salary among the 97 indexed Michigan district schedules is Novi Community School District at $58,931 (2026-27).
- The highest single cell on any indexed Michigan grid is Zeeland Public Schools at $126,215.
- This ranks the 97 Michigan districts whose published schedule is indexed here, out of 537 districts in the state. A district that is not indexed is not ranked.
Highest starting salary on the bachelor's column
| District | Year | Starting | Column | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Novi Community School District | 2026-27 | $58,931 | BA | 6,720 |
| 2. Dearborn Public Schools | 2026-27 | $58,145 | Bachelors Degree | 19,621 |
| 3. Woodhaven-Brownstown School District | 2026-27 | $55,706 | BA | 5,622 |
| 4. West Ottawa Public Schools | 2026-27 | $55,682 | BA | 6,708 |
| 5. Wayne-Westland Community Schools | 2026-27 | $55,532 | BA | 9,613 |
| 6. Detroit Public Schools Community District | 2026-27 | $55,000 | Bachelors | 48,271 |
| 7. Zeeland Public Schools | 2026-27 | $54,376 | BA | 5,916 |
| 8. Byron Center Public Schools | 2026-27 | $54,283 | BA | 4,512 |
| 9. Forest Hills Public Schools | 2026-27 | $53,752 | BA | 9,065 |
| 10. Northville Public Schools | 2025-26 | $53,572 | BA | 6,971 |
| 11. Brighton Area Schools | 2026-27 | $53,516 | BA | 5,827 |
| 12. Jenison Public School District | 2026-27 | $53,331 | BA | 5,145 |
| 13. Livonia Public Schools | 2026-27 | $53,040 | BA Scale | 13,145 |
| 14. Rockford Public Schools | 2026-27 | $52,268 | BA | 7,644 |
| 15. Kentwood Public Schools | 2026-27 | $52,250 | BA | 9,422 |
| 16. Van Buren Public Schools | 2026-27 | $52,200 | BA | 4,293 |
| 17. Caledonia Community Schools | 2026-27 | $51,769 | BA | 4,628 |
| 18. Howell Public Schools | 2026-27 | $51,500 | BA | 6,722 |
| 19. Farmington Public School District | 2026-27 | $51,053 | BA | 9,154 |
| 20. Gibraltar School District | 2026-27 | $51,053 | BA | 3,614 |
| 21. Oxford Community Schools | 2026-27 | $50,912 | BA-0 | 5,722 |
| 22. Grandville Public Schools | 2025-26 | $50,904 | BA | 5,476 |
| 23. Grand Haven Area Public Schools | 2026-27 | $50,851 | BA | 5,306 |
| 24. Reeths-Puffer Schools | 2026-27 | $50,818 | BA | 3,554 |
| 25. Lincoln Park Public Schools | 2026-27 | $50,539 | BA | 4,906 |
Highest cell anywhere on the schedule
The top of a schedule is normally the most senior step of the highest education column, so this is what a long-serving teacher with the most credits can reach, not a typical salary.
| District | Year | Top cell | Column | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Zeeland Public Schools | 2026-27 | $126,215 | MA + 30/Ed. Spec. | 5,916 |
| 2. Lincoln Park Public Schools | 2026-27 | $120,204 | DR | 4,906 |
| 3. Jenison Public School District | 2026-27 | $118,838 | 2nd MA, EDS | 5,145 |
| 4. Wayne-Westland Community Schools | 2026-27 | $116,005 | DM Ed Sp | 9,613 |
| 5. Dearborn Public Schools | 2026-27 | $115,686 | EdD/PhD Degree | 19,621 |
| 6. Byron Center Public Schools | 2026-27 | $115,080 | MA+30 | 4,512 |
| 7. Bloomfield Hills Schools | 2026-27 | $114,793 | PH.D. | 5,069 |
| 8. Woodhaven-Brownstown School District | 2026-27 | $113,853 | Doctorate | 5,622 |
| 9. Gibraltar School District | 2026-27 | $113,694 | EDSP | 3,614 |
| 10. Chippewa Valley Schools | 2026-27 | $112,777 | PH.D. or ED.D CERT | 14,505 |
| 11. Northville Public Schools | 2025-26 | $112,476 | PhD | 6,971 |
| 12. Grand Haven Area Public Schools | 2026-27 | $110,615 | MA+25 | 5,306 |
| 13. West Ottawa Public Schools | 2026-27 | $110,419 | MA+30 | 6,708 |
| 14. Caledonia Community Schools | 2026-27 | $110,340 | MA+30 | 4,628 |
| 15. Forest Hills Public Schools | 2026-27 | $109,712 | MA+45 | 9,065 |
| 16. Grandville Public Schools | 2025-26 | $109,397 | MA+30 | 5,476 |
| 17. Allen Park Board of Education | 2026-27 | $109,231 | MA 2026-2027 | 3,708 |
| 18. Kentwood Public Schools | 2026-27 | $107,635 | MA+ 30 | 9,422 |
| 19. Portage Public Schools | 2026-27 | $107,598 | MA+ | 8,514 |
| 20. Lakeview Public Schools | 2026-27 | $107,114.57 | PhD /EdD | 4,257 |
| 21. Livonia Public Schools | 2026-27 | $107,078 | MA Scale | 13,145 |
| 22. Utica Community Schools | 2026-27 | $106,680 | PHD1 | 25,501 |
| 23. Troy School District | 2026-27 | $106,663 | PHD/EDD | 12,391 |
| 24. Rockford Public Schools | 2026-27 | $106,611 | MA60 | 7,644 |
| 25. The School District of the City of Wyandotte | 2026-27 | $106,367.37 | MA | 4,232 |
Coverage grows as more Michigan schedules are parsed. See all 537 Michigan districts, or the national rankings.