K-12 Teacher Shortage, retention, and salaries in Utah

More than 30,000 teachers educate Utah's K-12 students. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored existing concerns related to teacher shortages, retention, and salaries. Despite the pandemic's impact on education, Utah teacher vacancies remain low, teacher retention remains high, and Utah's average teacher salary is comparable to the national average. While Utah ranks relatively well on many metrics associated with these issues, potential warning signs include lower retention rates among early-career and underqualified teachers, high student-teacher ratios, and teacher shortages in certain subject areas.