Author(s) :

Jeffrey Lee.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This study examines how teacher payment affects student academic performance by analyzing state teacher salary ratios together with student performance data and socioeconomic information. The research which covers 50 U.S. states for the 2024–2025 academic year uses Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression and multivariate linear regression methods to study how salary competitiveness affects standardized test results and graduation rates and student absenteeism and student demographics. The initial analysis demonstrates that the salary ratio shows weak statistical connections to math and reading scores which serve as immediate academic measurements. The research found that relative teacher pay positively correlates with high school graduation rates while it negatively impacts state population size and student absenteeism rates. The research results show that salary competitiveness does not directly produce short-term test score improvements but instead functions as an essential element which maintains long-term educational success and student retention and attendance. The study shows that educational policies require effective teacher payment systems which need to be established through understanding the wider socioeconomic contexts.