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Best states for an elementary classroom teacher
Quoted expert
Dr. Mark Williams Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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It seems like elementary classroom teachers are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for elementary classroom teachers aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. We wanted to look at the best states for elementary classroom teachers -- where there are plenty of elementary classroom teacher jobs to go around and elementary classroom teachers get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for elementary classroom teachers. Maryland is the best state for elementary classroom teachers, where the median salary is $67,898.We found that Maryland is the best state for elementary classroom teacher jobs, whereas Maine is the worst.
10 best states for elementary classroom teachers in 2025
1. Maryland
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 941 Average annual salary: $67,898 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
2. New Jersey
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 1,136 Average annual salary: $62,816 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.55
3. Connecticut
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 508 Average annual salary: $53,939 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
4. Washington
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 512 Average annual salary: $62,365 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
5. Wyoming
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 69 Average annual salary: $50,612 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
6. District of Columbia
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 170 Average annual salary: $59,286 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
7. New York
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 1,096 Average annual salary: $57,829 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
8. Nebraska
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 219 Average annual salary: $51,434 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. Michigan
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 940 Average annual salary: $49,985 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
10. Pennsylvania
Total elementary classroom teacher jobs: 943 Average annual salary: $52,814 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
Elementary classroom teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an elementary classroom teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an elementary classroom teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $67,898 | $50,000 | 6,052,177 | 941 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $62,816 | $46,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,136 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $53,939 | $39,000 | 3,588,184 | 508 |
| 4 | Washington | $62,365 | $48,000 | 7,405,743 | 512 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $50,612 | $39,000 | 579,315 | 69 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $59,286 | $43,000 | 693,972 | 170 |
| 7 | New York | $57,829 | $42,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,096 |
| 8 | Nebraska | $51,434 | $40,000 | 1,920,076 | 219 |
| 9 | Michigan | $49,985 | $37,000 | 9,962,311 | 940 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $52,814 | $38,000 | 12,805,537 | 943 |
| 11 | Texas | $52,523 | $40,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,706 |
| 12 | Oregon | $57,312 | $43,000 | 4,142,776 | 276 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $53,474 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 824 |
| 14 | California | $60,897 | $45,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,032 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $48,483 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 277 |
| 16 | Alaska | $57,022 | $50,000 | 739,795 | 21 |
| 17 | Virginia | $53,164 | $39,000 | 8,470,020 | 749 |
| 18 | Montana | $47,411 | $37,000 | 1,050,493 | 171 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $52,043 | $38,000 | 1,059,639 | 88 |
| 20 | Utah | $52,451 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 164 |
| 21 | Illinois | $48,195 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,629 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $47,412 | $37,000 | 5,576,606 | 746 |
| 23 | Florida | $48,430 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,490 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $46,624 | $36,000 | 6,715,984 | 453 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $45,631 | $34,000 | 1,342,795 | 266 |
| 26 | Ohio | $48,301 | $36,000 | 11,658,609 | 667 |
| 27 | Delaware | $46,038 | $33,000 | 961,939 | 155 |
| 28 | Alabama | $47,226 | $36,000 | 4,874,747 | 210 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $46,896 | $36,000 | 4,454,189 | 198 |
| 30 | Vermont | $45,264 | $35,000 | 623,657 | 92 |
| 31 | Colorado | $45,762 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 813 |
| 32 | Georgia | $46,129 | $35,000 | 10,429,379 | 815 |
| 33 | Nevada | $41,968 | $31,000 | 2,998,039 | 451 |
| 34 | Kansas | $43,113 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 301 |
| 35 | Iowa | $43,449 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 305 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $43,043 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 815 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $44,593 | $34,000 | 4,684,333 | 239 |
| 38 | Missouri | $43,787 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 480 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $44,122 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 57 |
| 40 | Idaho | $42,759 | $32,000 | 1,716,943 | 174 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $48,885 | $42,000 | 1,427,538 | 40 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $43,852 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 386 |
| 43 | Arizona | $39,641 | $30,000 | 7,016,270 | 872 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $41,210 | $31,000 | 5,024,369 | 379 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $40,782 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 189 |
| 46 | Indiana | $38,421 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 650 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $39,038 | $29,000 | 3,930,864 | 302 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $40,276 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 158 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $40,381 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 57 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $39,808 | $30,000 | 1,815,857 | 60 |
| 51 | Maine | $36,722 | $28,000 | 1,335,907 | 51 |
Highest paying states for elementary classroom teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Elementary Classroom Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $67,898 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $62,816 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $53,939 |
| 4 | Washington | $62,365 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $50,612 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $59,286 |
| 7 | New York | $57,829 |
| 8 | Nebraska | $51,434 |
| 9 | Michigan | $49,985 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $52,814 |
| 11 | Texas | $52,523 |
| 12 | Oregon | $57,312 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $53,474 |
| 14 | California | $60,897 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $48,483 |
| 16 | Alaska | $57,022 |
| 17 | Virginia | $53,164 |
| 18 | Montana | $47,411 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $52,043 |
| 20 | Utah | $52,451 |
| 21 | Illinois | $48,195 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $47,412 |
| 23 | Florida | $48,430 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $46,624 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $45,631 |
| 26 | Ohio | $48,301 |
| 27 | Delaware | $46,038 |
| 28 | Alabama | $47,226 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $46,896 |
| 30 | Vermont | $45,264 |
| 31 | Colorado | $45,762 |
| 32 | Georgia | $46,129 |
| 33 | Nevada | $41,968 |
| 34 | Kansas | $43,113 |
| 35 | Iowa | $43,449 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $43,043 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $44,593 |
| 38 | Missouri | $43,787 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $44,122 |
| 40 | Idaho | $42,759 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $48,885 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $43,852 |
| 43 | Arizona | $39,641 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $41,210 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $40,782 |
| 46 | Indiana | $38,421 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $39,038 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $40,276 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $40,381 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $39,808 |
| 51 | Maine | $36,722 |
Expert opinions on the best states for elementary classroom teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for elementary classroom teachers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Mark Williams Ph.D.
Professor, Calvin University
If you mean in the field(s) of classics, some private schools and academies are hiring (still) Latin and Greek teachers, especially in the South and Southwest. In the upper Midwest and Northeast, not so much.
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Updated January 8, 2025