Teacher Salary By State Key Facts
- Maryland has the highest teacher salary of $61,254.
- Montana has the lowest teacher salary of $34,041.
- The average salary for teachers across the U.S. is $47,989.
- The national hourly rate for teachers is $23.07.
Here's a quick overview of the top ten states for teacher salaries:
- Maryland
- Hawaii
- New York
- California
- Alaska
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Washington
- Virginia
- New Jersey
Highest-Paid Teachers By State
| Rank |
State |
Average Teacher Salary |
10th Percentile |
90th Percentile |
| 1 |
Maryland | $61,254 |
$40,000 |
$93,000 |
| 2 |
Hawaii | $59,222 |
$36,000 |
$97,000 |
| 3 |
New York | $57,919 |
$37,000 |
$89,000 |
| 4 |
California | $57,193 |
$39,000 |
$83,000 |
| 5 |
Alaska | $54,655 |
$41,000 |
$71,000 |
| 6 |
Connecticut | $53,838 |
$34,000 |
$84,000 |
| 7 |
Massachusetts | $53,435 |
$34,000 |
$83,000 |
| 8 |
Washington | $53,255 |
$36,000 |
$77,000 |
| 9 |
Virginia | $51,980 |
$34,000 |
$77,000 |
| 10 |
New Jersey | $50,693 |
$32,000 |
$78,000 |
| 11 |
Rhode Island | $49,690 |
$31,000 |
$77,000 |
| 12 |
Oregon | $48,930 |
$33,000 |
$71,000 |
| 13 |
Illinois | $48,469 |
$34,000 |
$68,000 |
| 14 |
Pennsylvania | $47,859 |
$31,000 |
$73,000 |
| 15 |
Texas | $47,693 |
$35,000 |
$63,000 |
| 16 |
Michigan | $46,247 |
$31,000 |
$68,000 |
| 17 |
Georgia | $45,908 |
$33,000 |
$62,000 |
| 18 |
Ohio | $45,004 |
$30,000 |
$65,000 |
| 19 |
Wyoming | $44,652 |
$32,000 |
$60,000 |
| 20 |
Alabama | $44,472 |
$32,000 |
$60,000 |
| 21 |
Kentucky | $44,120 |
$31,000 |
$61,000 |
| 22 |
Florida | $43,926 |
$31,000 |
$61,000 |
| 23 |
Delaware | $43,641 |
$28,000 |
$66,000 |
| 24 |
Nevada | $42,775 |
$29,000 |
$61,000 |
| 25 |
New Mexico | $42,397 |
$31,000 |
$57,000 |
| 26 |
Nebraska | $42,129 |
$30,000 |
$57,000 |
| 27 |
West Virginia | $41,909 |
$28,000 |
$61,000 |
| 28 |
Tennessee | $41,591 |
$30,000 |
$56,000 |
| 29 |
Minnesota | $41,413 |
$29,000 |
$58,000 |
| 30 |
Utah | $41,116 |
$29,000 |
$57,000 |
| 31 |
Iowa | $40,723 |
$29,000 |
$56,000 |
| 32 |
Louisiana | $40,425 |
$30,000 |
$53,000 |
| 33 |
New Hampshire | $40,231 |
$25,000 |
$62,000 |
| 34 |
Kansas | $40,196 |
$29,000 |
$54,000 |
| 35 |
Wisconsin | $40,132 |
$27,000 |
$57,000 |
| 36 |
South Carolina | $40,110 |
$28,000 |
$55,000 |
| 37 |
Colorado | $39,734 |
$29,000 |
$53,000 |
| 38 |
North Carolina | $39,642 |
$27,000 |
$56,000 |
| 39 |
Mississippi | $39,537 |
$29,000 |
$52,000 |
| 40 |
Arizona | $38,865 |
$28,000 |
$53,000 |
| 41 |
Vermont | $38,680 |
$25,000 |
$59,000 |
| 42 |
North Dakota | $38,308 |
$27,000 |
$53,000 |
| 43 |
Arkansas | $38,244 |
$28,000 |
$51,000 |
| 44 |
Indiana | $37,673 |
$26,000 |
$53,000 |
| 45 |
Idaho | $37,629 |
$26,000 |
$53,000 |
| 46 |
Missouri | $36,768 |
$26,000 |
$50,000 |
| 47 |
Oklahoma | $35,931 |
$26,000 |
$47,000 |
| 48 |
Maine | $35,260 |
$22,000 |
$54,000 |
| 49 |
South Dakota | $35,107 |
$25,000 |
$48,000 |
| 50 |
Montana | $34,041 |
$24,000 |
$47,000 |
Lowest-Paid States for Teachers
How much do teachers make a year in states that are less affluent? Teachers may find that they need to be more creative when it comes to developing effective instructional methods in the absence of adequate support and funding.
Low wages can be challenging for teachers who are trying to launch their careers. Below are the five lowest-paying states based on starting salary:
- Montana ($32,871)
- Missouri ($32,970)
- Arkansas ($35,201)
- Colorado ($35,292)
- Nebraska ($35,820)
References
- https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/teacher-pay-by-state
- https://www.zippia.com/advice/teacher-salary-by-state/
