Harlan Independent School District teacher salaries

Harlan Independent is an independent school district in Kentucky with 59 teachers (full-time equivalents).1 A new teacher with a bachelor's degree starts at $41,310, or $46,060 with a master's. The schedule tops out at $67,820 for Rank I teachers with 25 years of experience.

What is the average teacher salary at Harlan Independent?

Lowest on the schedule

$41,310

Rank III, 0 years

Average classroom teacher salary1

$56,287

  • $3,568 below the Kentucky district average

Highest on the schedule

$67,820

Rank I, 25 years

Teachers (full-time equivalents)
59
Starting salary, bachelor's
$41,310
120th highest of 171 districts
Schedule raise on last year
2%
typical change across the schedule
Average pay rank in Kentucky
125th
of 171 districts

Harlan Independent's teacher salary schedule, 2025-261

Annual salary by rank (columns) and years of experience (rows), as Harlan Independent reported it to the Kentucky Department of Education. Rows that repeat the same salaries are folded together.

YearsRank IIIRank IIRank I
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 to 23
24
25 to 40

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Tap any salary to see it on the pay climb chart below.

What Rank I, II and III mean for a Kentucky teacher's pay

Kentucky places every teacher in a rank by their education. Higher ranks pay more at every year of experience.2

Rank III
Requires a bachelor's degree and a regular teaching certificate. At Harlan Independent it starts at $41,310 and reaches $57,370 after 25 years.
Rank II
Requires a master's degree in an approved field, National Board certification or equivalent continuing education. At Harlan Independent it starts at $46,060 and reaches $62,420 after 24 years.
Rank I
Requires Rank II plus a second master's, National Board certification or 30 more graduate hours. At Harlan Independent it starts at $51,040 and reaches $67,820 after 25 years.

How fast does teacher pay grow at Harlan Independent?

On Rank III, pay rises for 25 years, from $41,310 to $57,370. Pick a rank and years of experience to see the salary and how far it is from the top.

$51,750

a year with 10 years of experience. This rank tops out at $57,370 after 25 years.

$67,820$41,310
0 years40 years
Chosen rankOther ranks

Does Harlan Independent pay teachers more than the typical Kentucky district?

Line up all 171 Kentucky districts by average classroom teacher salary. The one in the middle pays $59,250: half pay less, half pay more.

No

Harlan Independent's average of $56,287 ranks 125th of 171, below the middle district.

Harlan Independent
$60k$80k

Middle district: $59,250

Each bar counts the districts whose average classroom teacher salary falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle district.

Questions about Harlan Independent teacher salaries

How much do teachers make at Harlan Independent?

Classroom teachers at Harlan Independent School District averaged $56,287 in 2025-26, as the district reported it to the Kentucky Department of Education. Its salary schedule runs from $41,310 to $67,820.

What is the starting salary for a new teacher at Harlan Independent?

$41,310 for a new teacher with a bachelor's degree (Rank III, 0 years of experience) and $46,060 with a master's degree (Rank II), on the 2025-26 schedule.

What is the highest teacher salary at Harlan Independent?

$67,820 a year, for a Rank I teacher with 25 or more years of experience. That's the top of the 2025-26 schedule.

Is teacher pay at Harlan Independent high for Kentucky?

Its average classroom teacher salary ranks 125th of 171 Kentucky school districts. The average across all districts is $59,855.

More Kentucky teacher salaries

Sources for the Harlan Independent figures

Salaries are the annual amounts on the district's certified salary schedule, as reported to the state; a district's own published schedule can differ, for example when it covers a different number of work days. The average classroom teacher salary includes pay for contracted extra days and extra duties. Teacher counts are full-time equivalents, so two half-time teachers count as one. Ranks, medians and the raise on last year are our own arithmetic on these figures.

  1. Kentucky Department of Education, School District Personnel Information, 2025-26: Certified Salary Schedule, Average Classroom Teacher Salaries and Yearly FTE for Teachers.
  2. Kentucky Revised Statutes 161.1211, rank classification of teachers, as amended by 2020 Ky. Acts ch. 113 (SB 174): what each rank requires.

How we read the data