Public schools face widespread teacher vacancies. Fifty-five percent report at least one unfilled position. The statistics below detail shortages by subject, region, and role.
Key Takeaways
- 44% of teachers cited low salary as primary reason for leaving profession in 2023
- In the 2022-2023 school year, 55% of U.S. public schools reported at least one teaching vacancy, with an average of 5.4 unfilled positions per school
- U.S. projected to need 200,000 more teachers annually through 2030
- 98% of U.S. districts reported special education teacher shortages in 2023
- California reported 10,000 special education teacher vacancies in 2023-2024 school year
Teacher shortages are worsening, with many districts struggling to fill classrooms nationwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Causes and Retention Issues20 stats
01
44% of teachers cited low salary as primary reason for leaving profession in 2023
02
Teacher salaries lagged 23% behind other professions with similar education in 2023
03
30% of new teachers left within 5 years due to workload in 2022-2023
04
Burnout affected 53% of teachers, leading to 18% attrition rate in 2023
05
Poor working conditions caused 25% of mid-career exits in 2023 surveys
06
62% of teachers reported inadequate admin support as retention barrier in 2024
07
Pandemic-related stress increased quits by 15% from 2020-2023
08
40% of teachers in high-poverty schools left due to safety concerns in 2023
09
Lack of planning time contributed to 22% turnover in elementary schools 2023
10
55% cited student behavior as top retention challenge in 2023-2024
11
Retirement wave: 300,000 teachers eligible to retire by 2024
12
37% of teachers felt undervalued, leading to job changes in 2023
13
Housing costs forced 19% of teachers out in high-cost areas 2023
14
48% reported insufficient professional development as exit reason 2023
15
Family responsibilities caused 14% attrition among female teachers in 2023
16
Administrative burdens took 20% of teacher workday, per 2023 surveys
17
66% of leavers cited better pay elsewhere in 2023 exit polls
18
Mental health issues led to 28% early retirements in 2023
19
35% avoided teaching due to low starting salaries averaging $42,000 in 2023
20
Union dissatisfaction contributed to 12% quits in non-union states 2023
Interpretation
Causes and Retention Issues Interpretation
The profession tasked with building our future is hemorrhaging its workforce because we've somehow concluded that paying educators like a luxury we can't afford, drowning them in bureaucratic absurdities, and then expressing shock when they seek actual careers instead of martyrdoms, is a sustainable model.
02 · Category
Current National Statistics30 stats
01
In the 2022-2023 school year, 55% of U.S. public schools reported at least one teaching vacancy, with an average of 5.4 unfilled positions per school
02
Nationally, teacher vacancy rates reached 4.2% in fall 2023, up from 3.8% in 2022, affecting over 300,000 classroom positions
03
77% of U.S. public school districts reported experiencing teacher shortages in 2023, particularly in math and science
04
The U.S. had approximately 250,000 unfilled or underqualified teaching positions in K-12 public schools as of 2023
05
In 2024, 48% of school principals nationwide cited difficulty hiring teachers as a major challenge
06
Teacher turnover rates averaged 16% nationally in 2022-2023, contributing to persistent shortages
07
92% of U.S. schools faced challenges hiring for hard-to-staff subjects in 2023
08
National teacher shortage estimated at 110,000 full-time equivalent positions in 2024
09
61% of public schools reported using long-term substitutes to fill vacancies in 2023
10
U.S. public schools saw a 20% increase in teacher vacancies from 2020 to 2023
11
45% of U.S. teachers reported their schools were understaffed in 2023 surveys
12
National average of 3.2 teacher vacancies per 100 students in 2023
13
67% of urban schools reported critical teacher shortages in 2024
14
Teacher absenteeism due to shortages averaged 5.2 days per teacher in 2023
15
38% of U.S. schools increased class sizes due to shortages in 2023-2024
16
National hiring gap for certified teachers was 15% in STEM fields in 2023
17
52% of principals reported emergency certifications used for 10% or more of staff in 2023
18
U.S. lost 50,000 net teachers from 2021-2023 due to retirements and quits
19
70% of schools reported shortages in elementary education in 2024
20
Average teacher vacancy duration was 4.5 months in 2023 national data
21
41% of U.S. public schools had unfilled positions in career/technical education in 2023
22
National shortage of 55,000 special education teachers projected for 2023-2024
23
64% of schools used part-time staff to cover shortages in 2023
24
Teacher shortage cost U.S. schools $10 billion in substitute and overtime pay in 2023
25
29% increase in national teacher job postings unfilled in 2023 vs. 2022
26
73% of rural schools reported worsening shortages in 2024
27
U.S. teacher workforce declined by 3% from 2019 to 2023
28
56% of schools reported shortages in bilingual education positions in 2023
29
National average pupil-teacher ratio rose to 16.1:1 in 2023 due to shortages
30
49% of charter schools faced teacher staffing crises in 2023-2024
Interpretation
Current National Statistics Interpretation
The education system is hemorrhaging qualified teachers so severely that we're now measuring the crisis in hundreds of thousands of vacancies, billions in band-aid solutions, and a generation of students being taught by a patchwork of overstretched long-term substitutes and emergency certifications.
03 · Category
Projections and Future Trends20 stats
01
U.S. projected to need 200,000 more teachers annually through 2030
02
Teacher demand to grow 7% by 2032, faster than average occupations
03
Special ed shortages to reach 100,000 positions by 2027
04
3 million new teachers needed nationwide by 2030 due to growth and turnover
05
STEM teacher gap to widen to 120,000 by 2025
06
Rural shortages projected to increase 25% by 2028
07
Turnover expected to stabilize at 16% annually through 2030
08
400,000 retirements anticipated in next decade
09
Urban districts to face 15% vacancy rates by 2026
10
Bilingual teacher demand up 50% by 2030 due to demographics
11
CTE instructor shortages to hit 20% by 2027
12
Enrollment growth requires 110,000 additional elementary teachers by 2030
13
High-poverty schools to see 30% shortage increase by 2028
14
Alternative certification to fill 40% of new positions by 2030
15
Gen Z aversion to teaching: only 5% consider it career by 2030 projections
16
Climate migration to boost Southern state shortages 20% by 2030
17
AI integration may reduce need by 10% but increase specialist demand 2025-2030
18
Federal funding shortfalls to exacerbate 50,000 gap by 2027
19
Paraprofessional shortages to double to 200,000 by 2030
20
Post-pandemic recovery to peak demand at 250,000 teachers/year until 2028
Interpretation
Projections and Future Trends Interpretation
We are facing a future where we will frantically attempt to build the next generation's foundation with a phantom crew of retirees, the unwilling, and the overstretched.
More related reading
04 · Category
Special Education and High-Need Areas22 stats
01
98% of U.S. districts reported special education teacher shortages in 2023
02
Special education vacancy rates averaged 12% in public schools during 2023-2024
03
89% of principals cited special ed as the hardest area to staff in 2023 surveys
04
U.S. needed 49,000 more special ed teachers in 2023, with 80% of positions filled by underqualified staff
05
Shortage of 18,000 speech-language pathologists in schools reported for 2024
06
91% of special ed teachers in high-poverty schools were underqualified in 2023
07
Vacancy rates for counselors reached 11.5% in special ed programs in 2023
08
75% of districts used aides instead of certified special ed teachers in 2023-2024
09
Special ed teacher turnover was 19.1% nationally in 2022-2023
10
85% of urban districts reported critical shortages of autism specialists in 2023
11
Only 49% of special ed positions filled by fully certified teachers in 2023
12
Shortage led to 25% caseload increase for remaining special ed staff in 2024
13
93% of states reported special ed shortages as top priority in 2023 ESSA plans
14
Bilingual special ed positions had 15% vacancy rate in 2023 high-need schools
15
82% of special ed teachers left due to burnout in 2023 surveys
16
Shortage of 12,000 school psychologists nationwide in 2024
17
67% of special ed vacancies filled with long-term subs averaging 6 months in 2023
18
Emotional/behavioral disorder specialists short by 22% in 2023
19
76% of high-need schools used emergency credentials for special ed in 2024
20
STEM teacher shortages affected 68% of districts, with math vacancies at 8.2% in 2023
21
Science positions unfilled at 7.5% nationally in high schools 2023-2024
22
81% of CTE programs reported instructor shortages in 2023
Interpretation
Special Education and High-Need Areas Interpretation
While special education suffers the most acute crisis with a near-total staffing desert—a landscape of burnout, underqualification, and gaping vacancies—the broader teacher shortage quietly ensures that nearly every subject, from math to shop class, is now an endangered species in our schools.
05 · Category
State and Regional Data20 stats
01
California reported 10,000 special education teacher vacancies in 2023-2024 school year
02
Texas had 15% vacancy rate for teachers statewide, with 3,500 unfilled positions in 2024
03
Florida's teacher shortage hit 9,000 positions in 2023, especially in Miami-Dade district
04
New York City public schools had 4,200 teacher vacancies at start of 2023-2024
05
Arizona faced 2,800 teacher shortages in rural areas in 2023
06
Georgia reported 8% statewide vacancy rate, with 5,000 positions open in 2024
07
Illinois Chicago Public Schools had 1,800 vacancies in fall 2023
08
Pennsylvania rural districts saw 12% shortages in 2023-2024
09
Washington state reported 4,500 teacher shortages, 40% in special ed, in 2023
10
Nevada Las Vegas had 900 vacancies district-wide in 2024
11
Michigan reported 10% vacancy rate in Detroit schools 2023
12
Oklahoma rural areas had 15% shortages, 2,000 positions unfilled in 2023
13
Massachusetts Boston had 700 teacher openings in 2023-2024
14
Oregon reported 3,500 shortages statewide in 2024
15
Colorado Denver had 500 vacancies, 20% in special ed, 2023
16
Virginia reported 4,000 shortages, highest in Northern VA in 2023
17
Indiana had 2,900 vacancies, 25% increase from 2022, in 2023
18
New Mexico rural districts 18% shortages in 2024
19
Kentucky reported 3,000 openings in Appalachia regions 2023
20
Alabama had 4,000 vacancies, 12% rate in 2023-2024
Interpretation
State and Regional Data Interpretation
We are trying to build the future of education on a foundation that's less solid than a substitute teacher's lesson plan for a subject they've never heard of.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Teacher Shortage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teacher-shortage-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Teacher Shortage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/teacher-shortage-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Teacher Shortage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teacher-shortage-statistics.
Sources & references
44 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level