Short answer
How do Cobb teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Cobb pays from the highest valid in-field teaching certificate it has received. Columns run CIT4 (bachelor) through CIT7 (doctorate), so a teacher moves right only after GaPSC upgrades the certificate to level 5, 6 or 7. Hours outside a qualifying degree program do not move the column.
Source: 2026-2027 Teacher Salary Schedule, Cobb County School District. Checked .
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How is the Cobb teacher salary schedule organized?
Read the 2026-2027 sheet left to right and the columns are CIT4 - Bachelor, CIT5 - Master, CIT6 - Specialist and CIT7 - Doctorate. Each column shows an annual figure and two daily rates, one for a 183-day contract and one for 187 days. Annual pay assumes eight-hour days.
The rows are uneven. Cobb groups years 1-3 into one row, lists 4 through 9 separately, then pairs years from 10-11 up to 22-23, and finishes with 24-26, 27-29 and 30+. A teacher in a paired band sees no change in the printed figure when moving from the first year of the pair to the second. If those bands are unfamiliar, start with how to read a salary schedule.
The notes on the schedule add placement rules:
- A teacher with one, two or three years of satisfactory Georgia experience who holds a professional certificate is placed on step 4.
- Outside teaching experience in an accredited, state-recognized program is credited year for year when the criteria are met, and military service can add up to three years with a DD214.
- Budget permitting, a step may be granted at the start of each work year after a satisfactory year. An unsatisfactory annual evaluation blocks it, and part-time staff working 50% to 99% need two consecutive years for one year of credit.
- Teachers new to Cobb work a 187-day contract that includes orientation days.
Counselors, school librarians, speech-language pathologists, interpreters, audiologists and diagnosticians are also paid from this schedule. Cobb keeps separate special-certificate and vocational schedules.
What moves a Cobb teacher to a higher certificate level on the schedule?
Rule GBA-R, Compensation Guides and Contracts, says certificated salaries are "determined by the type of Georgia certificate held and the number of years of experience". The salary schedule's own wording is sharper: pay rests on "receipt of the highest valid in-field teaching certificate issued and verified teaching experience." Two conditions follow from that sentence. The certificate must be in-field for your assignment, and Cobb must have received it.
A level change therefore starts with the state. Under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.33, a master's degree can raise a certificate to level 5, a specialist degree to level 6 and a doctorate to level 7. The degree must come from an In-Field program tied to a field you already hold, or from a state-approved New Field program that adds a field. Accreditation of the preparation provider is checked as of the date you were admitted. Graduate-level credit that does not finish such a degree leaves you in CIT4 or wherever you sit now; master's degree vs. credits explains why that matters in certificate-level states.
Does Cobb require approval before you take a course?
Cobb has a written advance-approval clause. Section F of Rule GBBA-R, Personnel Qualifications and Duties, says employees "who seek advance approval for courses for which they are not certain will meet the District's requirement should submit a written request for approval to the Human Resources Division prior to enrolling in the course."
That clause sits in the qualifications rule, next to certificate renewal, so it is most useful when you are unsure whether a course will satisfy a District certification requirement. It is voluntary ("should"), and it does not replace GaPSC's own decision on whether a degree qualifies for a level upgrade. A written answer from Human Resources is still worth having before you pay tuition. Our pre-approval guide covers what to include in that kind of request.
The Certification Department processes certification documents for new hires and current faculty and sends renewal and conversion notices. The Compensation office evaluates experience and certification documents for step placement.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Cobb does not publish a date on which an upgraded certificate starts paying more. What the rules do say:
- Pay follows receipt of the certificate, per the schedule notes, so the timing depends on when GaPSC issues the upgrade and Cobb has it on file.
- GBA-R states that final salary schedules are available to teachers on July 1.
- Teachers on a full contract are paid in equal monthly installments from August through July.
- For new staff, GBA-R G.5 says that once verified experience and a valid in-field certificate are received, "the salary will be appropriately adjusted."
State Board Rule 160-5-2-.05 also ties district pay to the certificate's validity date inside the contract year. Send your degree paperwork to GaPSC as soon as the degree posts; transcript deadlines has a checklist.
Do the same units count toward Georgia license renewal?
GBBA-R Section C covers renewal in Cobb. Employees whose certificates expire must meet state and District requirements before the next school year. Course work may come from District staff development or equivalent college or technical school courses, and anyone using college courses must send official transcripts to the Human Resources Division before the certificate expires. Professional Learning Units and Staff Development Units can come from conferences, workshops or online offerings approved by GaPSC, the Georgia Department of Education or the District.
At the state level, Rule 505-2-.36 gives standard certificates five years of validity, and renewal applications are accepted from December 1 before expiration through June 30. See the Georgia renewal summary. Renewal coursework keeps a certificate valid; it does not change a CIT column unless it is part of an upgrade-eligible degree.
Where can Cobb teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Cobb included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: license renewal, an added endorsement or a degree program. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Cobb's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Cobb pays by completed degree, certificate level or rating rather than by units, so courses short of a degree do not change a Cobb salary on their own (see units that count). Where graduate-level units still help is license renewal, explained in the renewal section, and any other purpose Cobb or Georgia names in writing.
| Question | What Cobb says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Cobb: Certificate level only; highest valid in-field | Semester or quarter units, graduate-level or not, and the university named on the transcript and its accreditor |
| Grade | See units that count | Letter grade or pass/fail on the transcript |
| Deadline | Cobb: None published; renewal transcripts before expiry | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Cobb: Written request to HR; optional, GBBA-R §F | Course descriptions or syllabi you can attach to an approval form |
| Price | Not set by the district | All-in price per credit, including any university or first-course fee (compare) |
Graduate-level credit providers, listed with the same facts
For renewal, or for a future move to a district that pays for units, many providers issue graduate-level units through accredited universities. Providers listed on this site, each with the same facts:
- Teacher Friendly: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $336 first course for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Educators: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $297 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Teachers: self-paced, 6 months, units through Valley City State, Adams State, UMass Global or CSU Pueblo; from $349 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Dominican CA Online: self-paced, units through Dominican University of California; $477 for 3 credits (price notes)
- For Teachers By Teachers: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo or UMass Global; $285 CSU Pueblo for 3 credits (price notes)
- Fresno Pacific University CE: self-paced, up to 1 year, units through Fresno Pacific University; ≈$475 for 3 credits (price notes)
The provider directory lists 28 providers and programs by what teachers need them for, and Compare sets published prices for 16 of them side by side, with transcripts from 11 universities. A listing on this site does not mean Cobb has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Cobb salary questions teachers ask
What does CIT5 mean on the Cobb salary schedule?
CIT5 is the master's column, matching a Georgia level 5 certificate. CIT4 is bachelor, CIT6 specialist and CIT7 doctorate.
Can I ask Cobb HR whether a course will count before I enroll?
Yes. Rule GBBA-R, Section F, says employees unsure whether a course meets the District's requirement should send a written request to the Human Resources Division before enrolling.
Which step does Cobb give a teacher with two years of Georgia experience?
Step 4, provided the experience was satisfactory and the teacher holds a professional certificate. The schedule applies the same placement to one, two or three years.
Does Cobb give a step every year?
Budget permitting, at the start of each work year after a satisfactory year of service. An unsatisfactory annual evaluation withholds the step.
Where can Cobb teachers take graduate-level courses for license renewal?
Cobb does not raise pay for units short of a degree, so check the renewal rules on this page and confirm with human resources or the state agency before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, Credits for Teachers, Dominican CA Online, For Teachers By Teachers and Fresno Pacific University CE. They differ in format, transcript university, grading time and price; the provider directory and the Compare page list 16 providers with the same facts for each.
Sources
- 2026-2027 Teacher Salary Schedule, Cobb County School District. Checked
- Administrative Rule GBA-R, Compensation Guides and Contracts, Cobb County School District. Checked
- Administrative Rule GBBA-R, Personnel Qualifications and Duties, Cobb County School District. Checked
- Certification Department and Compensation pages, Cobb County School District. Checked
- GaPSC certification rule 505-2-.33 on level upgrades. Checked
- Georgia SBOE Rule 160-5-2-.05. Checked
- GaPSC renewal rule 505-2-.36. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error