Based on data from a 1982-1983 study and from other sources, the average annual salaries of teachers in rural schools were compared, by geographical region, with salaries for all public elementary and secondary teachers in the United States, and the average beginning salary for rural teachers was compared with regional data for beginning public elementary and secondary teachers with bachelor's degrees. The nationwide descriptive study of rural school districts collected average annual salary and beginning salary data for rural school teachers from 816 districts in 45 states. For the 1982-1983 academic year the average annual salary for rural teachers in the sample was $16,377, while the National Education Association reported an average salary of $20,531 nationwide. Remuneration to rural teachers was lower than that for all public school teachers in each of the geographic regions. The disparity between the average beginning rural teacher salary as compared to all public teachers was not broad--the average beginning rural teacher salary was above that for all teachers in some regions. It may be that teachers do not stay long enough in rural areas to receive higher salaries even though higher initial salaries may attempt to compensate for distance and isolation. (BRR)