SALT LAKE CITY — Education is among the worst-paid majors in Utah when it comes to starting salaries, according to a report from the state auditor released Monday.

Utah students who graduated with a bachelor's degree in education reported an average starting salary of $36,577, according to data from the Utah System of Higher Education based on graduates of the class of 2014.

That is about half to two-thirds of what their peers in math, engineering and computer science made.

The pay differential may help explain Utah's teacher shortage.

Sydnee Dickson, state superintendent of public instruction, said the worst teacher shortages in Utah are in STEM fields, including math, physical sciences, computer science and special education.

Dickson said the state needs to conduct a broader survey to find out exactly why teachers are leaving, but she said the pay differential is likely part of the problem.

Teachers have also reported facing more stress in the classroom due to increased testing and accountability measures. Some districts have found difficulty finding elementary education teachers, which are typically easy to find, Dickson said.

The number of entrances into teaching programs in the state has also been dwindling, she added.

"I don't know that it's the root cause, but this audit provides us with another piece of data to just inform our ongoing discussions," Dickson said.

According to the report, students who majored in computer science boasted average first-year salaries of $64,071.

Other top-paid college majors included engineering, math, statistics and the social sciences. Bachelor's degree holders in those subjects, which include economics and political science, earned between $56,200 and $59,700 starting salaries on average.

Other poorly paid majors included family and consumer sciences, which usually includes disciplines like nutrition and early childhood education. Graduates reported starting salaries of about $36,398, similar to education majors.

Physical education majors were around the same, at $35,700.

"There are many likely factors, but clearly this is a significant one," said Utah Auditor John Dougall. "If somebody's looking at what their compensation is and they're looking at that opportunity cost, that's a significant difference."

Average starting salaries were estimated from data from the Utah Department of Workforce Services. Employers who pay into the unemployment insurance pool are required to report salaries.

Related

Report: Salaries just 'part of the solution' for Utah's teacher shortage

If Utahns want to ease the burden on teachers, they will have to take a hard look at how much they really value them, according to Andrea Rorrer, director of the Utah Education Policy Center.

The data has several limitations. For one, it does not include students who work for the federal government, nonprofit entities, are self-employed or moved out of state. The data also does not contain information about which industry the individual is in or how many jobs he or she has.

Dougall said school districts should consider paying teachers differently depending on subject matter.

School districts often pay a teacher more or less depending on his or her level of experience or level of education, but do not pay more or less based on the subject the employee teaches.

"Unfortunately, public education may be creating an artificial shortage just based on the way they compensate teachers," Dougall said. "We don't see, nor do we hear from university presidents, that they have any kind of shortage when it comes to hiring math professors versus professors in other disciplines."

A teacher salary enhancement program aimed at math, science and computer science teachers is too limited and lacks visibility, according to the report.

Teachers who qualify for the salary enhancement receive an annual supplement of $4,100. Email: dchen@deseretnews.com Twitter: DaphneChen_

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