Teachers on the scale

lunenburgbudgetproject.org — written by the Lunenburg Budget Project, an independent tool for residents. Not affiliated with the Town of Lunenburg, the School Committee or the school district. The data this page is computed from: /data/topics/teachers-on-the-scale.json

In calendar 2025, 56 of 90 teachers we matched were paid at least the master’s top step.

Teacher gross pay, calendar year

Lunenburg’s teachers on Lunenburg’s scale, gross pay. Harvard’s teachers on Harvard’s scale are drawn below, as a share of each one’s own top step.

Teacher gross pay by year

Upper quartileMedianLower quartile

	Upper quartile	Median	Lower quartile
2011	$76,616	$67,172	$56,122
2012	$77,482	$71,165	$66,506
2013	$78,132	$70,791	$61,124
2014	$82,855	$74,554	$66,378
2015	$82,602	$75,115	$65,848
2016	$80,167	$71,436	$61,801
2017	$84,710	$74,927	$67,838
2018	$86,135	$77,880	$65,841
2019	$91,572	$81,323	$73,897
2020	$88,650	$80,770	$71,087
2021	$91,376	$82,855	$70,014
2022	$94,294	$85,981	$72,897
2023	$100,122	$87,947	$76,494
2024	$96,097	$89,171	$73,407
2025	$101,476	$92,521	$84,719

Full-year matched teachers, gross, each calendar year. The match rate differs by year; see the table.

Pay against own master’s topour estimate

LunenburgHarvard (district’s set)

Share of full-year teachers, gross pay over own district’s master’s top step. Periods differ; Harvard’s is not printed.

1 · The facts

$92,521
median gross pay, matched teachers, calendar 2025
71 of 90
paid at least the bachelor’s top step
our estimate
56 of 90
paid at least the master’s top step
our estimate
40 of 90
past the master’s top plus the largest longevity
our estimate
$88,477
master’s top step, calendar 2025, our blend
our estimate
$80,460
bachelor’s top step, the same blend
our estimate
94 of 105
roster teachers matched to the wage list, 2025
4
left out as part-year, our rule
$67,172
median gross pay, calendar 2011
—
teachers on each step and lane, each year
not published
61 of 104
Harvard, at least Harvard’s master’s top
our estimate
—
other lists, on own scales
not published

2 · What it shows

1
71 of 90 matched teachers were paid at least the bachelor’s top step; 56 the master’s.
2
The median of matched teachers went from $67,172 in 2011 to $92,521 in 2025, gross.
3
It does not show how many teachers sit on each step or lane.
4
61 of 104 Harvard teachers were paid at least Harvard’s own master’s top; Lunenburg 56 of 90.

Teachers matched, and their gross pay

	Roster teachers	Matched	Part-year	Lower quartile	Median	Upper quartile
2025	105	94	4	$84,719	$92,521	$101,476
2024	113	86	12	$73,407	$89,171	$96,097
2023	78	55	6	$76,494	$87,947	$100,122
2022	104	77	11	$72,897	$85,981	$94,294
2021	65	58	6	$70,014	$82,855	$91,376
2020	106	89	14	$71,087	$80,770	$88,650
2019	97	64	6	$73,897	$81,323	$91,572
2018	102	88	9	$65,841	$77,880	$86,135
2017	95	76	10	$67,838	$74,927	$84,710
2016	113	74	10	$61,801	$71,436	$80,167
2015	97	68	8	$65,848	$75,115	$82,602
2014	91	61	3	$66,378	$74,554	$82,855
2013	85	52	0	$61,124	$70,791	$78,132
2012	79	57	2	$66,506	$71,165	$77,482
2011	69	47	3	$56,122	$67,172	$76,616

Calendar years, as the town prints the list. Gross pay, not salary; counts and quartiles only.

	Matched teachers
Under $70k (step 1)	7 teachers
$70–80k	11 teachers
$80–90k (BA top, MA top)	18 teachers
$90–100k	26 teachers
$100–110k	22 teachers
$110k and over	6 teachers

	Lunenburg	Harvard (district’s set)
Under 70%	3%	9%
70–80%	4%	9%
80–90%	12%	14%
90–100%	18%	10%
100–110%	24%	10%
110–120%	24%	20%
120% and over	13%	29%

1 · The facts

2 · What it shows

Sources