Story at a glance
- WalletHub compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C., along 24 metrics regarding opportunity, competition and academic and work environment to determine the most teacher friendly places in the U.S.
- New York holds the top spot.
- The Empire State ranked highest in teacher salaries and public-school spending per student.
New York is the best place in America to be a teacher, according to a new report published Monday.
The report from the personal finance website WalletHub compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C., along 24 metrics around opportunity, competition and academic and work environment. The publication factored in salaries, projected teacher turnover and public-school spending per student to determine the most teacher friendly places in the U.S.
New York held the No. 1 position partly due to its high rankings in teacher salaries and public-school spending per student — achieving No. 1 in each category.
Utah, which carried the second highest ranking in the opportunity category, held the second spot overall behind New York. Virginia, Vermont and Washington rounded out the top five.
New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, D.C., New Hampshire and Hawaii, are the worst places in America for teachers, according to the report. Hawaii ranked 49th and 44th, respectively, in the opportunity and competition and academic and work environment categories.
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
Lack of respect from the public for their profession, limited resources and low pay are three of the biggest challenges teachers face today, experts told WalletHub. But local leaders can work to create an environment where teachers want to work.
“Leaders in the community and schools must work to create an environment of respect for teachers and support for their work,” said Rene S. Parmar, Dean of the School of Education at Lehman College within the City University of New York.
“Salary is important as well, but we see teachers leaving high-paying districts when the working conditions are not supportive or safe,” Parmar added.
The average starting salary for a teacher during the 2020-21 school year was $41,770, according to data from the National Education Association.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
FAQs
Virginia, New York and Utah are the best states for teachers, according to a new WalletHub survey. The personal finance website ranked all 50 states and Washington D.C. from most teacher friendly to least.
Where is the best state to be a teacher? ›
2023's Best & Worst States for Teachers, WalletHub Study
| Best States for Teachers | Worst States for Teachers |
|---|
| 1. Virginia | 42. Tennessee |
| 2. New York | 43. Rhode Island |
| 3. Utah | 44. New Mexico |
| 4. Washington | 45. Missouri |
6 more rowsSep 25, 2023
According to our International Education Recruitment Report of 2023, the best states to teach in are:
- Hawai'i.
- California.
- Florida.
- New York.
- Colorado.
The top 10 best-paying states for teachers in 2023
- New York. New York is among the best-paying states for teachers. ...
- Massachusetts. America's most-educated state is also the runner-up for teacher-friendliness. ...
- 3. California. ...
- District of Columbia. ...
- Washington. ...
- Connecticut. ...
- New Jersey. ...
- Rhode Island.
Top 11 Places to Be a Teacher
- Syracuse, NY. ...
- Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT. ...
- Worcester, MA-CT. ...
- Canton-Massillon, OH. ...
- Toledo, OH. ...
- Lancaster, PA. ...
- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT. ...
- Columbus, OH (Tie)
Virginia, New York and Utah are the best states for teachers, according to a new WalletHub survey. The personal finance website ranked all 50 states and Washington D.C. from most teacher friendly to least.
What state pay teachers the most? ›
New York pays the highest average adjusted teacher salary, and Florida pays the lowest average salary.
- Missouri. $57.03K.
- South Carolina. $56.99K.
- Colorado. $56.77K.
- Arizona. $56.43K.
- West Virginia. $55.44K.
- South Dakota. $55.2K.
- Mississippi. $54.46K.
- Florida. $50.51K.
The best countries to be a teacher
- South Korea (9% of our teachers surveyed live or have lived and taught in South Korea)
- Spain (9%)
- China (7%)
- Italy (6%)
- Vietnam (6%)
New Hampshire and New Mexico topped WalletHub's 2020 ranking of the worst states for teachers.
What state pays teachers the lowest? ›
The five states with the lowest annual mean salary are:
- South Dakota ($49,190)
- Mississippi ($49,770)
- West Virginia ($50,770.
- North Carolina ($51,570)
- Arkansas ($53,080)
New York leads the nation in teacher pay with an average salary of $80,286, according to WalletHub.
Does the US pay teachers well? ›
The average annual salary for public school teachers during 2021-2022 was $66,397, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a nearly 8 percent pay cut, in inflation-adjusted terms, from a decade ago. Salary isn't the only reason educators exit the profession.
Where is the best place to live as a teacher cost of living? ›
When it comes to teacher compensation adjusted for cost of living, Illinois holds the top spot nationwide. The average teacher salary in Illinois falls well above the national average, while cost of living in the state is far less than in some of the states above.
Where are teachers most respected? ›
Teachers have the highest status in China, Greece, Turkey and South Korea, and the lowest status in Italy, Czech Republic, Brazil and Israel. It is worth noting that in both cases, several of the countries were also on the list of highest and lowest-paying countries, accordingly.
Where is there a demand for teachers? ›
6 states in need of teachers
- California. California currently needs teachers qualified to instruct classes in special education, math, science and career or technical education. ...
- Washington. ...
- Nevada. ...
- Arizona. ...
- Hawaii. ...
- Indiana.
New York's average teacher salary is about 11.5% higher than the average earnings of a full-time, year-round employee. Massachusetts and California follow, with $88,903 and $87,275 respectively. Mississippi has the lowest average teacher salary of $47,162, followed by South Dakota with $49,761.
What state is it hardest to become a teacher? ›
New Hampshire and New Mexico topped WalletHub's 2020 ranking of the worst states for teachers.
Which state has best teacher pension? ›
The highest quality retirement plan in the U.S. for new teachers is a defined contribution (DC) plan in South Carolina.
What is the best state to teach in based on cost of living? ›
New York paid the highest teacher salary ($84,218) when adjusted for cost of living. Massachusetts was second highest, with an average teacher salary of $83,434. Florida had the lowest average adjusted salary at $50,508, and was an outlier compared to other states that pay lower teacher salaries.
