There are over 3.6 million full-time teachers working in public and private primary, junior high and high schools in the United States. Their goals are the same – they instruct students on various topics and help them apply these concepts – but the teacher’s average salary varies considerably from state to state. How much do teachers make?
Differences in teacher salaries in the US
Teachers, however, have financial needs like everyone else. And while teachers generally earn less money than others with the same education (at least a bachelor’s and usually a master’s degree), people working in some states earn much less than people employed in others.
For example, in 2017, in New York, which has the highest average salaries, the average earnings of primary school teachers are $ 80,540, high school teachers earn $ 80,940, and the average earnings of high school teachers are $ 83,360. Compare this to Oklahoma, a state with the lowest average teacher salary. Primary teachers earn an average of USD 40,530, high school teachers earn USD 42,040, and those working in secondary schools earn USD 41,880.
Teachers’ pay differences have nothing to do with their professional responsibilities – teachers working in New York City have the same responsibilities as those who educate students in Oklahoma. They also have similar schedules. Teachers spend about seven hours a day in the classroom from Monday to Friday.
States with the highest average teacher salaries
The following states have the highest salaries for primary and secondary schools since 2017.
Primary school
- New York: USD 80,540
- California: 77 999 USD
- Connecticut $ 77,900
- Alaska: USD 77,030
- District of Columbia: USD 76,950
- Massachusetts: USD 76,590
- New Jersey: USD 69,500
- Virginia: USD 68,460
- Rhode Island: 67,990 USD
- Maryland: 67,340 USD
Junior High School
- New York: USD 80,940
- Alaska: USD 79 430
- Connecticut: USD 78,990
- Washington, DC: USD 74,540
- Massachusetts: $ 74,400
- California: 74,190 USD
- Oregon: $ 73,630
- New Jersey: $ 71,450
- Virginia: USD 67,770
- Illinois: $ 66,630
High School
- Alaska: USD 85,420
- New York: $ 83,360
- Connecticut: USD 78,810
- California: USD 77,890
- New Jersey: USD 76,430
- Massachusetts: 76 170 USD
- Virginia: $ 69,890
- Oregon: $ 69,660
- Maryland: USD 69,070
- Illinois: 68,380 USD
States with the lowest average teacher salaries
Unlike these states, the lowest salary for the same levels of education, starting in 2017.
Primary school
- Oklahoma: USD 40,530
- South Dakota: $ 41,570
- Arizona: 44,220 USD
- Mississippi: 44,230 USD
- West Virginia: USD 45.30
- North Carolina: 45,690 USD
- Idaho: 47,630 USD
- Arkansas: USD 48,110
- Louisiana: $ 48,310
- Florida: $ 48,340
Junior High School
- Oklahoma: USD 42,040
- South Dakota: 42 520 $
- Arizona: USD 43,670
- West Virginia: $ 45,000
- Mississippi: 45,320 $
- North Carolina: 45,690 USD
- Arkansas: $ 49,130
- Louisiana: $ 49,250
- Alabama: $ 49,630
- Florida: $ 49,780
High School
- Oklahoma: $ 41,880
- South Dakota: $ 41,980
- North Carolina: 46,370 USD
- Mississippi: $ 46,370
- West Virginia: 46.560 $
- Arizona: 48,050 USD
- Idaho: US $ 48,540
- Alabama: $ 49,790
- Kansas: USD 50,470
- Louisiana: USD 50,700