An important issue in the education reform debate is the effect of comparatively low salaries on teacher quality. Prose literacy scores are one of the best available measures of verbal ability, a factor identified by research as being associated with teacher quality. If teachers have lower prose literacy scores relative to college graduates in other occupations, this could indicate that relatively low salaries may not be attracting (or keeping) the most skilled college graduates to (in) the teaching profession. If, however, the literacy levels of teachers are no lower than those of their counterparts in other occupations, then other benefits (job security, a shorter work year, the opportunity to work with children, good retirement benefits, etc.) may be more important for attracting quality teachers than salary alone. Prose literacy scores, labor market outcomes, and other characteristics of full-time employed bachelor's degree recipients, by occupation in 1992 are presented. Analysis shows that in 1992 teachers had literacy skills similar to private-sector executives and managers, engineers, physicians, writers and artists, social workers, sales representatives, education administrators, and registered nurses. Teachers also tended to work fewer weeks per year than other college graduates, but at lower pay. (NAV)