Teachers in Hawai‘i can expect annual step increases to their salary under a new bill the state Legislature passed Wednesday.
Lawmakers in the state Senate and House voted unanimously in support of House Bill 1890, a measure that promises automatic annual pay hikes for public school and public charter school teachers.
The final version of the bill lawmakers voted through Wednesday allows for annual incremental increases to teacher salaries, provided that those increases are negotiated into a collective bargaining agreement. Teachers who have served for 3 years are also entitled to annual longevity-based step increases.
The Hawai‘i State Teachers Association has had those step increases written into its contract with the state for years, but they have never been funded until now. For most teachers, those increases will amount to a 3% salary hike per year, although some teachers will see a 6% increase.
The bill hasn’t changed substantially from its original form. However, the final version does not include a provision from an earlier draft that would have provided teacher retention bonuses each year from 2028 until 2031.
On a day when lawmakers waived through dozens of bills with little discussion, senators and representatives alike spoke at length in support of HB 1890, particularly in the face of a worsening teacher shortage throughout the state.
“While salaries may look average on paper, when adjusted for cost of living in our state, our teachers are effectively the lowest paid in the nation,” said Kapālama Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, echoing statistics claimed in the bill.
According to HB 1890, the national average salary for teachers is just over $30,000 per year, but in Hawai‘i, adjusted for the cost of living, the average starting salary is about $24,400.
A 2025 independent study of Hawai‘i teachers’ compensation, released by the state Department of Education, found that the average teacher salary in the state is "competitive" in the national market. Nonetheless, that study also found that 94% of Hawai‘i teachers felt their salaries do not keep up with the state’s cost of living, and 40% of teachers thought they may leave their job within three years.
Iroquois Point Rep. Julie Reyes Oda said teachers often need to resort to second jobs or leave the state entirely.
“Retaining experienced teachers is just as important as recruiting new ones, if not more so,” Oda said.
However, not every teacher will see a step increase. Those teachers already on the highest rung of the step increase schedule will not see immediate compensation for the wage compression they’ve experienced because of the lack of step increases, HSTA advised members in a statement Wednesday.
“We have done all we can do legislatively with regard to salary steps,” said HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr., in his statement to members. “Now we have to pivot to the bargaining table, which is the appropriate venue to address the thousands of experienced educators who are already on the top step.”
HB 1890 now goes to Gov. Josh Green’s desk to await his signature. Green must announce his intent to veto any bill by June 30, and any bill not vetoed will become law with or without his signature by July 15.
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