2026 starting salary for a new NYC DOE teacher
As of September 14, 2025, a new teacher with no prior teaching experience starts on the DOE salary schedule at the following base salaries, depending on educational credential:
| Credential | 2025–26 starting salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree, no prior teaching experience | $68,902 |
| Master's degree, no prior teaching experience | $77,455 |
How the step-and-differential pay scale works
Every UFT-represented teacher, from a first-year hire to a 30-year veteran, is placed on the same negotiated salary schedule using two variables: step, which advances with each year of teaching service, and differential, which reflects education beyond a bachelor’s degree—additional graduate credits, a master’s degree, or a doctorate. Salary also increases at set longevity milestones later in a career. Because the schedule is contractual, two teachers at the same school with the same step and differential earn the same base salary.
The full schedule is renegotiated periodically between the DOE and the UFT. The current agreement (2022–27) applies these across-the-board increases to every step:
What a DOE starting salary looks like after tax
Running both 2025–26 starting salaries through the paycheck calculator, as a single filer paid bi-weekly with no pre-tax deductions:
Bachelor's degree
$1,997.81
net per check · $51,943 annually
Master's degree
$2,198.72
net per check · $57,167 annually
DOE teachers also make a mandatory contribution to the NYC Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) pension, which is deducted before income tax the same way a traditional pre-tax deduction is. Enter your TRS contribution per paycheck in the calculator’s pre-tax field for a closer estimate— Social Security and Medicare still apply to your full gross salary either way.
Curious whether that salary clears the bar for the city’s own affordable housing lotteries? Read Can an NYC teacher afford NYC? on the blog.