The Teacher File.

Southwest Florida teacher pay: Lee vs. Collier vs. Sarasota

2025-26 & 2026-27 official schedules · how we check the data

Sarasota pays new teachers the most in Southwest Florida: $60,000, $5,500 more than Lee. For a teacher moving in with 10 years of experience, Collier pays the most ($65,520).

Side by side

LeeCollierSarasota
Starting salary$54,500$58,480$60,000
Starting with a master's$57,031$61,980$65,000
New hire with 5 years$56,135$58,920$61,500
New hire with 10 years$61,230$65,520$63,000
New hire with 20 years$69,548$76,080$64,500
Master's supplement$2,531.25$3,500$5,000
Doctorate supplement$5,062.50$5,000$10,000
Daily rate (starting)$278$298$306
Contract days196196196
Referendum supplementNoNoNo
School year2025-262025-262026-27

Bold marks the highest in each row. "New hire with N years" is what each district pays a teacher it hires with that much verified experience and a bachelor's degree, from its placement schedule. A dash means the district's documents don't state it.

What's different about each district

Lee County

New teachers start at $54,500 for a 196-day contract. A teacher hired with 10 years of experience starts at $61,230.

Teach in Lee? See what the others would pay you →

Collier County

New teachers start at $58,480 for a 196-day contract. A teacher hired with 10 years of experience starts at $65,520. Raises for 2025-26: All teachers rated Effective or Highly Effective +$1,350 to base; Highly Effective (performance schedule) +$880 performance increment.

Teach in Collier? See what the others would pay you →

Sarasota County

New teachers start at $60,000 for a 196-day contract. A teacher hired with 10 years of experience starts at $63,000.

Teach in Sarasota? See what the others would pay you →

Common questions

Which pays teachers more, Lee vs. Collier vs. Sarasota?

For a new teacher with a bachelor's degree, Lee pays $54,500, Collier pays $58,480 and Sarasota pays $60,000. With 10 years of experience at hire: Lee $61,230, Collier $65,520 and Sarasota $63,000.

Do Southwest Florida districts pay a referendum supplement?

None of these districts has one in the documents we checked.

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