Teacher Shortage Statistics that Should Worry All of Us in 2025
February 25, 2025
Overflowing classrooms. Rowdy kids. Low pay. Staggering workloads. Dwindling budgets. When you read news stories about public education in the U.S. these days, the picture can look quite grim. Teachers are quitting in droves, and fewer new teachers are entering the profession to replace them. Across the country, we鈥檙e facing a teacher shortage that is altering K-12 education as we know it.
When did the teacher shortage start?
Although the teacher shortage has been a growing issue since the mid-2000s, we saw a large increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a brief improvement in 2022 and 2023, shortages are spiking once again, and the effects seem to be lasting. The problem is not just that teachers are leaving education. Nationally, enrollment in bachelor鈥檚 degree education programs is declining. Last year, for example, due to dwindling interest. two of its education programs due to declining enrollment.
The teacher shortage is of course alarming, but there are nuances to any issue this widespread and complex. What is causing the shortage, and which states are most affected? Below, we鈥檒l answer all your questions about this critical and quickly evolving topic:
- National Teacher Shortage Quick Facts
- Why Is there a Teacher Shortage?
- Why Does the Teacher Shortage Matter?
- States with Teacher Shortages
- Teacher Shortage Florida
- Teacher Shortage California
- Special Education Teacher Shortage
- How Are States Responding to the Teacher Shortage?
National Teacher Shortage Quick Facts
- The issue is widespread: 86% of school districts nationwide are struggling to fill open positions. (Source: USA Today)
- 60% of schools have trouble finding substitute teachers. (Source: National Center for Education Statistics)
- The national teacher shortage is worse in high-poverty neighborhoods. 57% of schools in high-poverty neighborhoods report being understaffed. (Source: USA Today)
- About 1 in 3 teachers are 鈥榝airly鈥� likely to leave education in the next two years. (Source: EdWeek)
- K-12 teachers have the highest burnout rate of all U.S. industries. 44% report they 鈥渁lways鈥� or 鈥渧ery often鈥� feel burned out at work. (Source: Gallup)
Why Is There a Teacher Shortage?
Teacher shortage causes vary by region and state, but broadly speaking, teachers are leaving education because of 1) low pay and dwindling resources, 2) stress and overwork 3) changing students.
1) Low Pay and Dwindling Resources
- On average, teachers make 26.4% less per year than other professionals with similar education. (Source: Economic Policy Institute)
- 94% of teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies like pencils, paper, and snacks for children. (Source: neaToday)
- Only 15% of teachers are satisfied with their pay and, when you adjust for inflation, teachers make 5% less than they did 10 years ago. (Source: NEA Educator Pay Data 2024)
- Adjusted for inflation, teacher salaries have increased just $29 per week in the last 28 years (Source: Economic Policy Institute)
A profession traditionally dominated by women in centuries past, women still fill the majority of our country鈥檚 teaching positions. According to , 77% of teachers today are women. As gendered pay gaps persist, male-dominated fields pay , and female-dominated fields such as teaching and caretaking lag behind.
2)聽Stress and Overwork
According to a :
- 77% of teachers say their job is frequently stressful.
- 68% of teachers say their job is overwhelming.
- Only 53% of teachers say their job is enjoyable.
- 52% of teachers say they would not advise a young person starting out today to become a teacher.
As classroom numbers spike and teacher shortages mean there is more work on each teacher鈥檚 plate, stress and workload grows. According to Pew, 84% of teachers say there鈥檚 not enough time during regular work hours to do fundamental tasks like lesson planning, grading, and answering work emails. In many schools, teachers鈥� 鈥減rep periods鈥� have disappeared. Now, they are expected to monitor lunch and recess, cover other teachers鈥� classrooms, communicate with parents, and help students outside of school hours.
3)聽Changing Students
Many teachers report that students are struggling to keep up academically while behavioral issues, apathy, and distractions are on the rise.
- 48% of teachers say the academic performance of their students is 鈥渇air or poor.鈥� (Source: Pew Research)
- 49% of teachers say students鈥� behavior at their school is 鈥渇air or poor.鈥� 35% say it鈥檚 鈥済ood鈥� and only 13% of teachers rate student behavior as 鈥渆xcellent or very good.鈥� (Source: Pew Research)
- 66% of teachers say that the discipline practices at their school are 鈥渧ery鈥� or 鈥渟omewhat mild.鈥� 67% say teachers themselves don鈥檛 have enough influence on discipline. (Source: Pew Research)
- 30% percent of public schools reported that cyberbullying occurred once a week or more during or outside of school hours. (Source: National Center for Education Statistics)
- 26% percent of schools reported that inattention and lack of focus or inattention had a 鈥渟evere negative impact鈥� on student learning. (Source: National Center for Education Statistics)
- 88% of teachers think cell phones are a major distraction for students. (Source: Teaching Times)
- 49% of teachers report that chronic absenteeism is an issue and say students are missing a substantial number of school days. (Source: Pew Research)
Cell phones, the rise of AI, and the lingering consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic all have significant effects on students鈥� investment in their own learning. Teachers also find that the prioritization of standardized testing means they鈥檙e often teaching to the test rather than teaching students to love learning.
According to the , teachers are also finding that students are facing personal and mental health issues that impact their ability to learn. 53% of teachers say poverty is a major problem at their school and 48% report that their students are affected by anxiety and depression.
Why Does the Teacher Shortage Matter?
Teachers may be superheroes, but when schools are understaffed, they can only do so much to save the day. The national teacher shortage affects students and learning outcomes in so many ways. Commonly reported problems include:
1)聽Bigger class sizes
As teachers leave the profession, class sizes grow. This means that classroom behavior becomes more difficult to manage, and each student receives less individual attention.
2) Less student engagement
When classes are too full and behavioral issues provide constant distraction, students are more likely to tune out. Likewise, if students don鈥檛 feel their teacher is invested in their learning, student apathy grows.
3) More brand-new teachers
As experienced teachers leave teaching, that means schools hire more new graduates or educators working with provisional teaching licenses while they continue their education. Although new teachers often bring energy and enthusiasm, a lack of experience can mean less effective or inconsistent teaching.
4) More burn-out teachers
As their workload grows, teachers juggle more and have no choice but to take more work home to complete during the evenings and weekends. Everyone needs rest. If teachers are exhausted on the job, their effectiveness as teachers suffers.
5) Teachers teaching outside their expertise
The national teacher shortage means that more and more teachers are being called on to teach subjects outside their area of expertise. In elementary schools, where teachers cover fundamental subjects and electives, this might not matter so much. But in higher grade levels, asking Choir teachers to cover Journalism classes and Computer Science teachers to cover AP Art History means students miss out on important learning.
6) Long-term social and career impacts
Since only 10% of K-12 students attend a private school, that means the public education system is what prepares most of us for college or trade school and our eventual careers. The national teacher shortage means individual students might lag behind, but it also has significant effects on the bigger picture. Education is the backbone of our society, and a poorly educated workforce can impact our economy and ability to thrive as a country for generations to come.
States with Teacher Shortages
Every year, the U.S. Department of Education reports on teacher shortages across all 50 states and U.S. territories. The Florida teacher shortage and California teacher shortage have often been on the news, but many other states are also impacted. Based on open positions and student-to-teacher ratios, the 20 states below make the list of states with the highest and lowest rates of teacher shortage.
10 States with the Highest Teacher Shortages
- Nevada
- Utah
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Alaska
- Idaho
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Alabama
10 States with the Lowest Teacher Shortages
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- New York
- Missouri
- Maine
- New Jersey
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Nebraska
Special Education Teacher Shortage
The special education teacher shortage may be the most alarming shortage of all. Over time, the number of students receiving special education services has grown. As we鈥檝e become better at identifying students with different learning needs earlier and as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has authorized additional support for children with disabilities, the number of public school students receiving accommodations
Although schools have responded and hired more special education teachers, the rate of growth is not enough to meet student demand. According to an , special education teachers juggle higher workloads and more paperwork than other teachers. As a result, special education teachers are more likely to face burnout, change schools, and leave teaching altogether.
How Are States Responding to the Teacher Shortage?
Since teaching license requirements vary by state, retaining and recruiting teachers is typically seen as a state-by-state issue. States are responding in myriad different ways to the crisis and the effects have varied widely.
To address the California teacher shortage, for example, making it easier for teachers to enter the profession. Nevada has created a new program that allows education paraprofessionals to and become licensed teachers at no cost. Meanwhile, the teacher shortage in Florida remains a divisive state issue. Although the University of Florida recently launched a new online education degree program, continue to turn teachers away from the field.
Teacher Shortage Statistics鈥擬ore Resources
As teacher shortages add more work to teachers鈥� plates, we know that every minute of the school day matters. To help make life easier, we have an abundance of helpful resources for teachers in the Teacher Tools section of our blog. Head there to read more about:
- 28 Best Formative Assessment Examples for Teachers
- Best Teacher Intro Letter to Parents 鈥� with Examples
- 50 Best Virtual Field Trips for Kids
- 150 Sample Report Card Comments for Students
And if you鈥檙e looking to pursue a career in teaching, check out:
