Alongside staff shortages and political turmoil, the average teacher salary has declined in all but four states since 2021, according to data collected by Scholaroo, a college scholarship search platform. In fact, the average teacher salary has increased in only four states since 2021, the company said.
But first, here are the top 20 states with the highest average teacher salaries:
- New York
- California
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- Alaska
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Delaware
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Washington
- Vermont
- Virginia
- New Hampshire
- Hawaii
- Wyoming
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Big teacher salary slides
Average teacher salary has grown only grown on the coasts and in just four states: Hawaii, California, New York and New Jersey. Here is the list of how teacher pay has changed in all 50 states, starting with the largest decreases:
Federal intervention ahead?
The Pay Teachers Act, introduced last week by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, would set the minimum teacher salary at $60,000 and lay the groundwork for regular pay increases that are meant to keep educators’ compensation competitive. Starting pay for teachers in nearly 40% of school districts is less than $40,000 a year, Sanders’ office said.
The average weekly wage of a public school teacher has been stagnant for the past 50 years, increasing by only $29 over the last three decades (after adjusting for inflation), the senator’s office noted.
- Nebraska: -33.45%
- Oklahoma: -31.67%
- Utah: -25.42%
- New Mexico: -25.17%
- Virginia: -21.47%
- Kansas: -21.45%
- South Carolina: -20.55%
- North Carolina: -20.35%
- North Dakota: -20.05%
- Louisiana: -19.69%
- West Virginia: -19.46%
- Ohio: -19.30%
- Florida: -19.22%
- Alabama: -19.10%
- Arkansas: -18.37%
- Georgia: -18.28%
- Wisconsin: -17.81%
- Tennessee: -17.77%
- Iowa: -17.58%
- Indiana: -17.09%
- Kentucky: -16.80%
- Washington: -16.74%
- Oregon: -16.70%
- Idaho: -16.67%
- Arizona: -16.57%
- Michigan: -16.41%
- Mississippi: -16.13%
- Missouri: -15.21%
- Montana: -13.91%
- Wyoming: -13.87%
- Texas: -11.89%
- South Dakota: -10.50%
- Illinois: -10.17%
- Delaware: -10.14%
- Nevada: -8.66%
- Pennsylvania: -8.51%
- Vermont: -7.74%
- Maine: -7.50%
- Colorado: -7.01%
- Massachusetts: -4.99%
- Minnesota: -4.43%
- Alaska: -3.78%
- Rhode Island: -3.56%
- New Hampshire: -1.76%
- Connecticut: -1.45%
- Hawaii: +6%
- California: +7%
- New York: +10%
- New Jersey: +12%
Scholaroo did not gather data for Maryland.