With two million teachers needed in the next few years, statistics can easily be thrown off. But as it currently stands, the average teacher is white, female, married and has a master's degree. They teach in a school with a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1 and earn an average salary of $45,771.

See how you relate to these averages:

• 75 percent of teachers are female, mainly white and only fluent in English.
• Only 15 percent of elementary teachers are male.
• An average teacher is married, 43, and 36 percent have school-aged children.
• More than 35 percent of all teachers are over 50.
• More than 50 percent of teachers have a master's degree.
• The average new teacher salary is $29,564.

Estimates show teacher pay has deteriorated about 15 percent in the last 20 years. Female teacher wages are nearly identical to males; however, women's wages compared to those in other occupations requiring similar education have declined about 20 percent since 1980. Male teacher's wages have declined around 10 percent. Overall, any college graduate who pursues teaching will make 50 percent less than other occupations on average.

Other statistics and resources

Number of U.S. school districts is 15,000

Number of U.S. teachers

Teacher job outlook

AFT - Teacher Salary Trends

NEA - Education Statistics

State Profiles of Public Education

Center for Education Reform K12 Facts