Maximize Your Earnings

The Teacher's Guide to Salary Advancement & Lane Changes

Did you know that taking professional development credits can significantly increase your lifetime earning potential? Most public school salary schedules reward teachers for continuing education with structured salary "steps" and "lane changes."

Upward Teachers provides the high-quality, graduate-level credits you need to move up the pay scale quickly and affordably.

 Find Your State

How Teacher Salary Schedules Work

Public school districts typically structure teacher pay using a grid system based on two main variables: Steps (years of teaching experience) and Columns/Lanes (educational tier or credits earned).

The Math of a Lane Change: While "Steps" typically happen automatically with time, "Lanes" require you to earn additional credits (often labeled as BA+15, BA+30, MA, or MA+15). Jumping a single lane can increase your salary by thousands of dollars annually, compounding significantly over your career.

A Simple 3-Step Strategy to Advance Your Lane

You do not need to enroll in a massive, stressful degree program to increase your pay. Follow this simple plan to climb the pay scale on your own terms:

  1. Review Your District’s Salary Grid: Find your collective bargaining agreement or HR handbook to see the exact credit thresholds required for your next lane change (e.g., how many semester hours/credits you need to jump from BA to BA+15).
  2. Request District Pre-Approval: Use our simple pre-approval form and course syllabus (available by request or by download on product pages) to verify that graduate-level professional development credits transcripted by the University of Massachusetts Global are accepted for salary advancement.
  3. Submit Your Transcripts: Once you complete your asynchronous Upward course, request your official transcript and submit it to HR before your district's annual lane-change deadline.

Frequently asked questions

Will graduate-level professional development credits count toward a lane change?

Yes. The vast majority of districts across the country accept post-baccalaureate, graduate-level credits from regionally accredited institutions (such as UMass Global) for horizontal movement on salary schedules. This is the most popular, cost-effective method teachers use to move across the pay scale.
How much does it cost to get the credits I need?

With Upward, every 3-credit course is priced at a flat rate of $240, which includes your university auto-enrollment and credit cost.
What is the difference between quarter hours and semester hours?

Most district salary schedules are written in semester hours (also called semester units or semester credits). Our 3-credit courses provide 3 graduate-level semester hours.

If your district measures in quarter hours, confirm with them their semester conversion rate before purchasing.
When is the best time of year to complete coursework for a lane change?

Most school districts require you to submit official transcripts by a specific deadline in the late summer or early fall (typically mid-August to late October) for your new salary to take effect for that school year.

Because Upward courses are fully asynchronous and self-paced, you can complete them during the summer or school breaks to ensure your transcripts are ready in time.