At the end of the day—a day spent wrangling students, grading papers, coaching sports, and managing parents—teacher salaries are too low. That’s the conclusion of the National Council on Teacher Quality (and many others). The average teacher salary also varies—a lot.
Since the pandemic started (from 2021 until now), average teacher pay is up slightly, but it has not kept up with inflation overall. The National Education Association found that for 2022–2023, average teacher pay was up 2.6% from the previous year, but teachers are still making $3,644 less than they did 10 years ago.
The average teacher salary in the United States in 2022–2023 was $68,469, but this ranges from $48,530 (Mississippi) to $92,307 (Massachusetts). On the whole, from 2021–2022, salaries had increased, except in Kansas, where the average salary decreased from $54,988 to $54,810. The average salary increased the most in New Mexico ($54,272 to $63,580).
Read the full NEA report and the Education Week analysis.
Highest-Paying States (and D.C.) in 2022–2023
1. Massachusetts
Massachusetts average teacher salary: $92,307
2. New York
New York average teacher salary: $92,097
3. California
California average teacher salary: $90,151
4. District of Columbia
District of Columbia average teacher salary: $84,882
5. Washington
Washington average teacher salary: $83,845
6. Connecticut
Connecticut average teacher salary: $83,400
7. New Jersey
New Jersey average teacher salary: $82,126
8. Maryland
Maryland average teacher salary: $79,421
9. Rhode Island
Rhode Island average teacher salary: $79,289
10. Alaska
Alaska average teacher salary: $75,259
11. Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania average teacher salary: $74,116
12. Illinois
Illinois average teacher salary: $73,933
13. Oregon
Oregon average teacher salary: $71,842
14. Hawaii
Hawaii average teacher salary: $70,947
15. Minnesota
Minnesota average teacher salary: $66,795
How do the rest of the states stack up?
16. Delaware
Delaware average teacher salary: $66,243
17. Michigan
Michigan average teacher salary: $66,148
18. Ohio
Ohio average teacher salary: $65,825
19. Georgia
Georgia average teacher salary: $64,461
20. New Hampshire
New Hampshire average teacher salary: $64,169
21. New Mexico
New Mexico average teacher salary: $63,580
22. Vermont
Vermont average teacher salary: $63,291
23. Utah
Utah average teacher salary: $63,257
24. Virginia
Virginia average teacher salary: $62,367
25. Wisconsin
Wisconsin average teacher salary: $61,393
26. Colorado
Colorado average teacher salary: $61,907
27. Nevada
Nevada average teacher salary: $61,719
28. Wyoming
Wyoming average teacher salary: $61,437
29. Texas
Texas average teacher salary: $60,716
30. Maine
Maine average teacher salary: $60,391
31. Arizona
Arizona average teacher salary: $60,275
32. Iowa
Iowa average teacher salary: $60,150
33. Nebraska
Nebraska average teacher salary: $58,763
34. North Carolina
North Carolina average teacher salary: $56,559
35. Idaho
Idaho average teacher salary: $56,365
36. Kentucky
Kentucky average teacher salary: $56,296
37. Alabama
Alabama average teacher salary: $56,109
38. Indiana
Indiana average teacher salary: $55,981
39. Montana
Montana average teacher salary: $55,909
40. South Carolina
South Carolina average teacher salary: $55,778
41. North Dakota
North Dakota average teacher salary: $55,767
42. Oklahoma
Oklahoma average teacher salary: $55,541
43. Louisiana
Louisiana average teacher salary: $55,362
44. Kansas
Kansas average teacher salary: $54,810
45. Tennessee
Tennessee average teacher salary: $54,378
46. Missouri
Missouri average teacher salary: $54,029
47. Arkansas
Arkansas average teacher salary: $53,317
48. West Virginia
West Virginia average teacher salary: $53,006
49. Florida
Florida average teacher salary: $52,362
50. South Dakota
South Dakota average teacher salary: $51,363
51. Mississippi
Mississippi average teacher salary: $48,530
Find out how these states compare with the highest-paying states for special education teachers.
How much does your salary factor in to where you teach? Share on our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
