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Teacher salaries and teacher aptitude: An analysis using quantile regressions

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  • Gilpin, Gregory A.

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between salaries and scholastic aptitude for full-time public high school humanities and mathematics/sciences teachers. For identification, we rely on variation in salaries between adjacent school districts within the same state. The results indicate that teacher aptitude is positively correlated with teacher salaries with an elasticity point estimate of 0.132. However, using quantile regressions, we find the elasticity estimates form an inverted U-shape across the scholastic aptitude distribution, and that higher aptitude teachers are more profoundly affected by the percentage of students eligible for free lunch and local street crime, while lower aptitude teachers are more profoundly affected by local education support. Furthermore, studying mathematics/sciences teachers, we find that while the elasticity estimates maintain an inverted U-shape, scholastic aptitude is not correlated with changes in salaries for the lower 40 percentiles of the aptitude distribution.

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  • Gilpin, Gregory A., 2012. "Teacher salaries and teacher aptitude: An analysis using quantile regressions," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 15-29.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:31:y:2012:i:3:p:15-29
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2012.01.003
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    2. Balch, Ryan & Springer, Matthew G., 2015. "Performance pay, test scores, and student learning objectives," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 114-125.
    3. Helge Arends, 2017. "Equal Living Conditions vs. Cultural Sovereignty? Federalism Reform, Educational Poverty and Spatial Inequalities in Germany," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 47(4), pages 673-706.
    4. Gjefsen, Hege Marie, 2020. "Wages, teacher recruitment, and student achievement," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    5. Quinby, Laura D. & Wettstein, Gal, 2021. "Do deferred benefit cuts for current employees increase separation?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    6. Hatsor, Limor, 2012. "Occupational choice: Teacher quality versus teacher quantity," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 608-623.
    7. Greaves, Ellen & Sibieta, Luke, 2019. "Constrained optimisation? Teacher salaries, school resources and student achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    8. Zhou, Jinyan & Du, Ping & Zhao, Wen & Feng, Siche, 2022. "Skill requirements and remunerations in the private teacher labor market: Estimations with online advertisements in China," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    9. Grönqvist, Erik & Hensvik, Lena & Thoresson, Anna, 2022. "Teacher career opportunities and school quality," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    10. Keneth Muhwezi & Robert Wamala & Leonard K. Atuhaire, 2017. "Retention Of Academia At Makerere University: A Time-To-Event Analysis," Working papers 2017-03-13, Voice of Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education quality; Mathematics and sciences teachers; Teacher aptitude; Teacher salaries; Wage gradient;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures
    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • J4 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets

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