Guam Department of Education teacher pay on average lags roughly 25% behind what teachers earn nationwide, but under the recently approved 2026 Educator Pay Plan completed by the Department of Administration, teachers will see a 15% pay structure increase.
According to the 2026 Pay Plan analysis by DOA, Guam's average teacher salary is about $58,600 a year, compared with a national average of about $73,200.
"To address compensation-related issues that impact the overall progression of employees through the various levels of educator positions, a 15 percent market movement recommendation is proposed for the updated 2026 Educator Pay Plan for assigned Pay grades ED1A through ED-7," DOA said.
The 15% market movement applies to educator pay grades ED-1A through ED-7, which cover Teacher Levels I through VI and include school program consultants, vocational instructors, Head Start teachers and Head Start program assistant directors.
For administrators, DOA found the gap is smaller, at about 3%, with the Guam administrator average at $115,575 compared with the national average of $118,872.
Although DOA said school principals and assistant principals do not need a raise, it recommended a 5% increase as a retention incentive.
"In addition to the five percent recommended base pay adjustment, School Principals and Assistant School Principals should continue to receive a 15% and a 10% incentive pay differential respectively," DOA said in the analysis.
The cost impact analysis provided by DOA shows current annual gross salary and benefits for teachers total $157,821,388. The 2026 pay structure increase of 15% adds another $23,673,208.
DOA said this does not include overtime, night differential or incentive pay.
The 2026 Educator Pay Plan brings total annual personnel costs for educators to $181,494,596.
For principals, the current gross salary and benefits cost is $7,532,633. DOA said the 5% pay structure increase adds $376,632, while the 15% pay differential amounts to $1,129,895, bringing annual personnel costs to $9,039,161.
For assistant principals, the current annual gross salary and benefits cost of $6,118,955 will increase to $6,424,903 with the 5% increase and to $7,036,799 with the 10% differential.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero approved the 2026 Educator Pay Plan on Sept. 18.
DOA's memo to the governor also says that, upon approval of the plan, it was submitting additional recommendations: step-to-step slotting of employees from the 2022 Educator Pay Plan, continued pay differentials for principals and assistant principals, and a 2% to 3% annual adjustment with a review within three years.
Guam News Network is awaiting a response from DOA Director Edward Birn on whether the governor approved the additional recommendations.