Bill History – West Virginia Legislature Bills

2026 Regular Session

Link to Bill History on Legacy Website (Click Here)

Summary: Relating to raising the state minimum salary for teachers to $50,000 beginning in school year 2026-2027
PDF: hb4973 intr.pdf
DOCX: HB4973 INTR.docx

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 4973

By Delegates Heckert, Chiarelli, and Amos

[By Request of the State Treasurer]

[Introduced January 29, 2026; referred to the Committee on Education then Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §18A-4-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to raising the state minimum salary for teachers to $50,000 beginning in school year 2026-2027; updating the state minimum salary schedule to provide an additional $2,000 annual salary increase for all teachers; and providing a minimum salary increase of $1,200 for teachers providing math instruction and special education services.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS

§18A-4-2. State minimum salaries for teachers.

(a) For school year 2024-2025 2026-2027, and continuing thereafter, each teacher shall receive the amount prescribed in the State Minimum Salary Schedule as set forth in this section, specific additional amounts prescribed in this section or article, and any county supplement in effect in a county pursuant to §18A-4-5a of this code during the contract year.

STATE MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE

Years Exp	4th Class	3rd Class	2nd Class	A.B.	A.B. 15	M.A.	M.A. 15	M.A. 30	M.A.	Doctorate
Years Exp	4th Class	3rd Class	2nd Class	A.B.	A.B. 15	M.A.	M.A. 15	M.A. 30	M.A.	Doctorate
0	36,597	37,286	37,552	38,995	39,756	41,523	42,284	43,045	43,806	44,841
1	36,925	37,614	37,880	39,513	40,274	42,042	42,803	43,563	44,324	45,359
2	37,254	37,942	38,208	40,032	40,793	42,560	43,321	44,082	44,843	45,878
3	37,582	38,270	38,536	40,551	41,311	43,079	43,840	44,600	45,361	46,396
4	38,154	38,842	39,108	41,313	42,074	43,842	44,603	45,363	46,124	47,159
5	38,482	39,170	39,436	41,832	42,593	44,360	45,121	45,882	46,643	47,678
6	38,810	39,498	39,764	42,350	43,111	44,879	45,640	46,400	47,161	48,196
7	39,138	39,827	40,092	42,869	43,630	45,397	46,158	46,919	47,680	48,715
8	39,466	40,155	40,421	43,387	44,148	45,916	46,677	47,437	48,198	49,233
9	39,794	40,483	40,749	43,906	44,667	46,434	47,195	47,956	48,717	49,752
10	40,123	40,811	41,077	44,426	45,186	46,954	47,715	48,476	49,236	50,271
11	40,451	41,139	41,405	44,944	45,705	47,473	48,233	48,994	49,755	50,790
12	40,779	41,467	41,733	45,463	46,223	47,991	48,752	49,513	50,273	51,308
13	41,107	41,795	42,061	45,981	46,742	48,510	49,270	50,031	50,792	51,827
14	41,435	42,123	42,389	46,500	47,260	49,028	49,789	50,550	51,310	52,345
15	41,763	42,451	42,717	47,018	47,779	49,547	50,307	51,068	51,829	52,864
16	42,091	42,779	43,045	47,537	48,297	50,065	50,826	51,587	52,347	53,382
17	42,419	43,108	43,373	48,055	48,816	50,584	51,345	52,105	52,866	53,901
18	42,747	43,436	43,702	48,574	49,335	51,102	51,863	52,624	53,385	54,420
19	43,075	43,764	44,030	49,092	49,853	51,621	52,382	53,142	53,903	54,938
20	43,403	44,092	44,358	49,611	50,372	52,139	52,900	53,661	54,422	55,457
21	43,732	44,420	44,686	50,129	50,890	52,658	53,419	54,179	54,940	55,975
22	44,060	44,748	45,014	50,648	51,409	53,176	53,937	54,698	55,459	56,494
23	44,388	45,076	45,342	51,167	51,927	53,695	54,456	55,216	55,977	57,012
24	44,716	45,404	45,670	51,685	52,446	54,214	54,974	55,735	56,496	57,531
25	45,044	45,732	45,998	52,204	52,964	54,732	55,493	56,254	57,014	58,049
26	45,372	46,060	46,326	52,722	53,483	55,251	56,011	56,772	57,533	58,568
27	45,700	46,388	46,654	53,241	54,001	55,769	56,530	57,291	58,051	59,086
28	46,028	46,717	46,982	53,759	54,520	56,288	57,048	57,809	58,570	59,605
29	46,356	47,045	47,311	54,278	55,038	56,806	57,567	58,328	59,088	60,123
30	46,684	47,373	47,639	54,796	55,557	57,325	58,085	58,846	59,607	60,642
31	47,013	47,701	47,967	55,315	56,076	57,843	58,604	59,365	60,125	61,160
32	47,341	48,029	48,295	55,833	56,594	58,362	59,123	59,883	60,644	61,679
33	47,669	48,357	48,623	56,352	57,113	58,880	59,641	60,402	61,163	62,198
34	47,997	48,685	48,951	56,870	57,631	59,399	60,160	60,920	61,681	62,716
35	48,325	49,013	49,279	57,389	58,150	59,917	60,678	61,439	62,200	63,235


				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,196
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,715
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,198	51,233
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,717	51,752
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,000	50,476	51,236	52,271
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,233	50,994	51,755	52,790
				50,000	50,000	50,000	50,752	51,513	52,273	53,308
				50,000	50,000	50,510	51,270	52,031	52,792	53,827
				50,000	50,000	51,028	51,789	52,550	53,310	54,345
				50,000	50,000	51,547	52,307	53,068	53,829	54,864
				50,000	50,297	52,065	52,826	53,587	54,347	55,382
				50,297	50,816	52,584	53,345	54,105	54,866	55,901
				50,574	51,335	53,102	53,863	54,624	55,385	56,420
				51,092	51,853	53,621	54,382	55,142	55,903	56,938
				51,611	52,372	54,139	54,900	55,661	56,422	57,457
				52,129	52,890	54,658	55,419	56,179	56,940	57,975
				52,648	53,409	55,176	55,937	56,698	57,459	58,494
				53,167	53,927	55,695	56,456	57,216	57,977	59,012
				53,685	54,446	56,214	56,974	57,735	58,496	59,531
				54,204	54,964	56,732	57,493	58,254	59,014	60,049
				54,722	55,483	57,251	58,011	58,772	59,533	60,568
				55,241	56,001	57,769	58,530	59,291	60,051	61,086
				55,759	56,520	58,288	59,048	59,809	60,570	61,605
				56,278	57,038	58,806	59,567	60,328	61,088	62,123
				56,796	57,557	59,325	60,085	60,846	61,607	62,642
				57,315	58,076	59,843	60,604	61,365	62,125	63,160
				57,833	58,594	60,362	61,123	61,883	62,644	63,679
				58,352	59,113	60,880	61,641	62,402	63,163	64,198
				58,870	59,631	61,399	62,160	62,920	63,681	64,716
				59,389	60,150	61,917	62,678	63,439	64,200	65,235

(b) Six hundred dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who has at least 20 years of teaching experience. The payments: (i) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable State Minimum Salary Schedule; (ii) shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and (iii) shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.

(c) Effective July 1, 2019, each classroom teacher providing math instruction in the teacher’s certified area of study for at least 60 percent of the time the teacher is providing instruction to students shall receive an additional $1,200 of annual pay or be considered to have three additional years of experience only for the purposes of the salary schedule set forth in subsection (a) of this section, whichever is greater: Provided, That for any classroom teacher who satisfies these requirements and whose years of experience plus the three additional years due to them exceeds the years of experience provided for on the salary schedule shall be paid the additional amount equivalent to three additional years of experience notwithstanding the maximum experience provided on the salary schedule.

(d) Effective July 1, 2019, each classroom teacher certified in special education and employed as a full-time special education teacher, as defined by the State Superintendent, shall receive an additional $1,200 of annual pay or be considered to have three additional years of experience only for the purposes of the salary schedule set forth in subsection (a) of this section, whichever is greater: Provided, That for any classroom teacher who satisfies these requirements and whose years of experience plus the three additional years due to them exceeds the years of experience provided for on the salary schedule shall be paid the additional amount equivalent to three additional years of experience notwithstanding the maximum experience provided on the salary schedule.

(e) In accordance with §18A-4-5 of this code, each teacher shall be paid the supplement amount as applicable for his or her classification of certification or classification of training and years of experience as follows, subject to the provisions of that section:

(1) For "4th Class" at zero years of experience, $1,781. An additional $38 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;

(2) For "3rd Class" at zero years of experience, $1,796. An additional $67 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;

(3) For "2nd Class" at zero years of experience, $1,877. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;

(4) For "A.B." at zero years of experience, $2,360. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;

(5) For "A.B. + 15" at zero years of experience, $2,452. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;

(6) For "M.A." at zero years of experience, $2,644. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;

(7) For "M.A. + 15" at zero years of experience, $2,740. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;

(8) For "M.A. + 30" at zero years of experience, $2,836. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;

(9) For "M.A. + 45" at zero years of experience, $2,836. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience; and

(10) For "Doctorate" at zero years of experience, $2,927. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience.

These payments: (i) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable State Minimum Salary Schedule, any specific additional amounts prescribed in this section and article and any county supplement in effect in a county pursuant to §18A-4-5a of this code; (ii) shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and (iii) shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a minimum salary of $50,000 for teachers and providing at least a $2,000 salary increase for all teachers.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.