Aug 08, 2022
2 min read
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In the US, teacher pay has declined over the past decade, but showed small growth between 2020 and 2021.1 Teachers earn 11% more than the average salary across the nation, making $65,090 per year while the national average salary is $58,260.2Meanwhile, 80% of Americans feel like teachers are underpaid.3
We found the national average teacher salary based on education level:
- Elementary school teachers earn an average salary of $61,350.4
- Middle school teachers earn an average salary of $61,320. 5
- High school teachers earn an average salary of $61,820.6
Teachers help develop the next generations of movers and shakers, the ones who will join the workforce or own their own small business. While teaching touches most aspects of our communities in some way, some states have less-than-average teacher pay.
We compared the average salary of primary and secondary school teachers to the average salary for all jobs in each state and Washington, DC. How does teacher pay compare to your paycheck?
The best-paying states for teachers
- Nationally, teachers earn 11% more than the average salary across the country. Teachers are paid $65,090, while the average salary across all occupations is $58,260.
- Pennsylvania and California are at the top of the list for teacher pay. In Pennsylvania, teachers can expect to earn 28.5% more than the average salary. In California, teachers earn 25.4% more than average.
- Five of the best-paying states for teachers are on the East Coast.
The worst-paying states for teachers
- Washington D.C. and Arizona rank last on our list, with teachers earning 18% and 5.5% less than the average wage, respectively.
- Only six states pay teachers below the state’s average salary.
State-by-state comparison of teacher earnings
Rank | State | Average teacher salary for 2020-2021 | Average salary of all other occupations | % difference teachers earn compared to all occupations |
| United States | $65,090 | $58,260 | +11.7% | |
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $71,281 | $55,490 | +28.5% |
| 2 | California | $85,892 | $68,510 | +25.4% |
| 3 | New York | $87,738 | $70,460 | +24.5% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $75,966 | $62,120 | +22.3% |
| 5 | Connecticut | $79,742 | $66,130 | +20.6% |
| 6 | Hawaii | $70,922 | $59,760 | +18.7% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $86,315 | $72,940 | +18.3% |
| 8 | Michigan | $64,267 | $55,160 | +16.5% |
| 9 | Oregon | $68,671 | $59,070 | +16.3% |
| 10 | Illinois | $69,300 | $59,650 | +16.2% |
| 11 | Ohio | $61,687 | $53,170 | +16.0% |
| 12 | Wyoming | $60,357 | $52,110 | +15.8% |
| 13 | Washington | $79,529 | $68,740 | +15.7% |
| 14 | New Jersey | $77,489 | $67,120 | +15.4% |
| 15 | Iowa | $58,911 | $51,140 | +15.2% |
| 16 | Alaska | $72,861 | $63,480 | +14.8% |
| 17 | Nevada | $58,167 | $51,080 | +13.9% |
| 18 | Maryland | $74,514 | $65,900 | +13.1% |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $60,038 | $53,120 | +13.0% |
| 20 | Kentucky | $54,384 | $48,170 | +12.9% |
| 21 | Alabama | $54,271 | $48,110 | +12.8% |
| 22 | South Carolina | $53,361 | $47,490 | +12.4% |
| 23 | Georgia | $60,553 | $53,940 | +12.3% |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $54,256 | $48,360 | +12.2% |
| 25 | Mississippi | $47,655 | $42,700 | +11.6% |
| 26 | Vermont | $61,547 | $55,450 | +11.0% |
| 27 | Delaware | $65,798 | $59,820 | +10.0% |
| 28 | Arkansas | $50,992 | $46,500 | +9.7% |
| 29 | Louisiana | $51,851 | $47,740 | +8.6% |
| 30 | Kansas | $53,932 | $49,680 | +8.6% |
| 31 | Nebraska | $56,463 | $52,110 | +8.4% |
| 32 | West Virginia | $50,261 | $46,490 | +8.1% |
| 33 | Idaho | $51,817 | $47,940 | +8.1% |
| 34 | Montana | $52,894 | $49,340 | +7.2% |
| 35 | Maine | $57,052 | $53,230 | +7.2% |
| 36 | South Dakota | $49,993 | $46,810 | +6.8% |
| 37 | Utah | $56,918 | $53,400 | +6.6% |
| 38 | Texas | $57,641 | $54,230 | +6.3% |
| 39 | Tennessee | $52,380 | $49,330 | +6.2% |
| 40 | New Mexico | $54,923 | $51,860 | +5.9% |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $61,789 | $59,270 | +4.3% |
| 42 | Indiana | $52,194 | $50,440 | +3.5% |
| 43 | North Dakota | $54,837 | $53,380 | +2.7% |
| 44 | North Carolina | $54,392 | $53,100 | +2.4% |
| 45 | Missouri | $51,557 | $51,390 | +0.3% |
| 46 | Minnesota | $59,069 | $60,480 | -2.3% |
| 47 | Colorado | $60,611 | $62,900 | -3.6% |
| 48 | Florida | $49,583 | $51,950 | -4.6% |
| 49 | Virginia | $59,267 | $62,330 | -4.9% |
| 50 | Arizona | $52,157 | $55,170 | -5.5% |
| 51 | District of Columbia | $80,659 | $98,370 | -18.0% |
How has teacher pay changed over time?
Nationally, teacher salaries dipped by about 3% from 2010 to 2021. But six states saw dramatic decreases in teacher pay of over 10%: Indiana, Florida, Wyoming, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana.
However, some states like South Dakota, Vermont, and California saw small teacher salary increases below 7%. And Washington state stands out with a nearly 23.5% increase in teacher pay from 2010 to 2021.
Teachers in the US can find some comparatively good-paying gigs in most states, but withsalary pay that’s mostly shifted downward, will it be enough to retain a solid teaching population in the future?
Want to learn more about different pay across occupations? Check out our other articles on comparing average salaries in the US. We examine compensation trends in the tech industry, caregiving, and more!
Methodology
To develop our ranking we compared the average teacher salary to the average salary for ‘all occupations’ in each state. The average teacher salaries were sourced from the National Center for Educational Statistics. The average salary for ‘all occupations’ for each state came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Wage Statistics.
Sources:
- National Center for Education Statistics, “National Center for Education Statistics” Accessed August 8, 2022.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Occupational Employment Wage Statistics.” Accessed August 8, 2022.
- Proprietary Business.org Pollfish Survey of 700 adults age 18 or older conducted on August 8, 2022.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” Accessed August 8, 2022.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” Accessed August 8, 2022.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” Accessed August 8, 2022.
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