Do teacher salaries vary by state? If so, which states pay the highest and lowest?

Content

Expanded Question:
“How do teacher salaries vary significantly across U.S. states, and what are the key drivers behind these disparities? Considering current data (2024), which states consistently report the highest base salaries for K–12 teachers, and which report the lowest? Further, does this ranking change when accounting for total compensation (including benefits, bonuses, and retirement contributions)? How do factors like cost of living, state education funding policies, teacher demand, unionization rates, and regional economic conditions influence these rankings? Are there states where teachers earn above the national average in nominal terms but below it after adjusting for cost of living?”

Yes, teacher salaries vary significantly by state due to differences in funding formulas, cost of living, state budgets, and legislative priorities. Based on the 2022–2023 school year average base salaries (excluding COLA adjustments) from the National Education Association (NEA) and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES):

States with the Highest Average Teacher Salaries:

  1. California: ~$102,762
  2. New York: ~$100,205
  3. Massachusetts: ~$92,268
  4. Connecticut: ~$91,122
  5. New Jersey: ~$89,896
  6. Vermont: ~$88,639
  7. Rhode Island: ~$87,091
  8. Washington: ~$85,133
  9. Maryland: ~$83,048
  10. Oregon: ~$81,299

States with the Lowest Average Teacher Salaries:

  1. Montana: ~$58,222
  2. South Dakota: ~$58,266
  3. Oklahoma: ~$58,404
  4. Arkansas: ~$58,778
  5. Iowa: ~$61,527
  6. Nebraska: ~$62,261
  7. Mississippi: ~$62,475
  8. Kansas: ~$62,952
  9. Utah: ~$63,061
  10. Texas: ~$63,385

Key Details:

  • Pay Disparity: The highest-paying state (California) offers teachers earning more than 70% higher than the lowest-paying state (Montana).
  • Cost of Living (COL): Salaries are often higher in states with higher COL (e.g., CA, NY, MA) to maintain comparable purchasing power. However, average salaries alone don’t fully reflect this – teachers in high-COL states often still face financial strain, while those in low-COL states with low salaries face greater hardship.
  • Poverty Trap: Low-paying states (especially MT, SD, OK, AR) consistently rank among the poorest in the U.S., making it difficult to recruit and retain teachers despite local COL being relatively lower.
  • U.S. Average: The national average base salary for public school teachers was $72,222 for the 2022–2023 school year.
  • Measures Matter: Some lists use “High Cost of Employment Ratio” (HCER) which adjusts for state tax burdens on wages. High-earning HCER states include Hawaii, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, and California.

Published: October 23, 2025