12 States Where Teachers Get the Respect (and Paychecks) They Deserve
Let’s face it—teachers are the unsung heroes often left holding the short end of the stick. While some might quibble over pennies, arguing that teachers are paid plenty, I’m not here to entertain that circus. The stage is set for a candid exploration of teacher pay across the good ol’ USA, based on the 2022 to 2023 stats from NEA’s Teacher Pay & Per Student Spending Rankings & Estimates. Brace yourself: the national average salary for teachers is $69,544. Yet, when we adjust for inflation, they actually pocketed 5% less than the year before. It’s a mixed bag out there, some states are stepping up, while others… not so much.
So, who’s rolling out the red carpet for our educators? Here are the top 12 states where teachers aren’t just scraping by:
1. **California**: Ever the trendsetter, California tops the charts. Teachers there rake in an average of $95,160. Last school year, they were third in line at the pay window with $88,508. This year’s 7.5% bump? Not too shabby.
2. **New York**: The Empire State, once the king of the hill, now sits pretty with $92,696 annually. A slight step up of nearly 2% from the previous year’s $91,097. Remember, it’s pricey living here.
3. **Massachusetts**: Ah, Massachusetts, where the living is… expensive. Teachers here earn a respectable $92,307, marking a 3.1% increase from the previous year’s $89,538.
4. **Washington**: In Washington, teachers aren’t pinching pennies, making $86,804 on average. That’s well above the $25.60 hourly living wage MIT suggests for a single adult in this state.
5. **District of Columbia**: Not to be outdone, D.C. teachers pocket an average of $84,882, up nearly 3% from $82,523 the previous year.
6. **Connecticut**: In the Constitution State, teachers earn about $83,400, which is roughly $15,000 above the national average. They’ve seen a 2.7% increase from the previous year.
7. **New Jersey**: Holding steady, New Jersey teachers made $81,102 this year, a 3.5% boost from $78,387 last year.
8. **Maryland**: It’s costly, but Maryland compensates its teachers well with an average salary of $79,420, nearly $4,000 more than last year.
9. **Rhode Island**: The average teacher in Rhode Island earned $79,289 this past school year, making it easier to focus on lifting those middle-of-the-road education rankings.
10. **Alaska**: The Land of the Midnight Sun demands resilience. Teachers there earned $76,371, up 3% despite the high cost of living (and don’t get me started on the $10 gallons of milk).
11. **Pennsylvania**: With an average salary of $74,945, Pennsylvania teachers saw a 2.6% increase from the previous year, though the salary range remains wide.
12. **Illinois**: Rounding out our list, Illinois teachers make about $73,916 annually, a modest increase from last year.
There you have it, a no-frills look at where teachers are valued more in terms of dollar signs. Whether these numbers make you nod in approval or shake your head in disbelief, they certainly give food for thought.
