Missouri Teacher Salary

In most school districts, you’ll receive retirement benefits through the Missouri Public School Retirement System. You can retire with full benefits if: 

• You are 60 years old with five years of teaching service.
• You are any age with 30 years of teaching service.
• The sum of your age plus your years of service equals 80 or more. (This is sometimes called the “Rule of 80.” So for example, if you start teaching at age 30, you could retire after 25 years at age 55, because 25 + 55 = 80.)

If you work in St. Louis Public Schools or Kansas City Public Schools, you’ll get your pension through your school district instead of the state. These districts also use the Rule of 80, but set their own minimum retirement ages. 

Wherever you're teaching, you can also retire earlier and still get partial benefits. (7)

Vacation days will depend on your district, but in general you can expect:

• Spring break
• December holiday break
• National holidays off
• Paid personal & sick days during the school year

You may also get time off during the summer. Teachers use this time to travel, explore professional development, relax or work elsewhere. Some districts offer summer positions for teachers, such as summer school classes or curriculum development jobs.

Want to continue your education or pursue a professional development experience? Many school districts provide funds for tuition reimbursement and professional development (such as conferences or training) for teachers. 

Building your skills can increase both your knowledge and your pay. It also helps districts retain top-notch educators—so it’s a win-win for everyone.

You don’t have to wait for your district to help cover your continuing education. Find grants, scholarships and fellowships for Missouri teachers and teacher candidates with our Financial Aid Explorer.

Stepping into a classroom could mean stepping out of debt. There are a number of loan forgiveness opportunities for teachers. These programs cancel your remaining student loans—meaning you don’t have to pay them back!—in exchange for a commitment to teach for several years.

Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program benefits public school teachers with federal student loans.

Teachers in certain shortage areas, including math, science and special education can receive up to $17,500. If you teach a different subject, you can still get up to $5,000 in forgiven loans. 

Perkins Loan Forgiveness

You can get up to 100% of your Perkins loans forgiven if you teach a shortage area subject in a school that serves low-income students. 

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

If you’ve worked full-time in a public service field for 10 years, you may qualify to have your remaining student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. 

Qualifying fields include government service, nonprofits and public education.

Buying a house is expensive, but there are resources to help teachers find a home in the community where they teach.

Good Neighbor Next Door

The federal government created Good Neighbor Next Door to contribute to community revitalization and to support people in service professions like teaching. The U.S. Department of Housing and Development offers a discount of 50% from the list price of qualifying homes.

Teacher Next Door Program

The Teacher Next Door Program is designed to help classroom teachers buy a home in Missouri and become homeowners in the communities where they work. The program offers a wide range of support for educators, including:

• Housing grants
• Down payment assistance 
• Home loans
• Preferred interest rates

Homes for Heroes

Homes for Heroes assists educators by making the home buying, selling or refinancing process easier (and saving teachers money in the process)! Learn more about Homes for Heroes.