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Best states for an elementary education teacher
Quoted expert
Dr. Mark Williams Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to elementary education teacher jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. As elementary education teachers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for elementary education teachers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as an elementary education teacher, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for elementary education teachers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.Maryland is the best state, and Barnstable Town is the city with the highest pay for elementary education teachers.
10 best states for elementary education teachers in 2025
1. Maryland
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 1,067 Average annual salary: $68,332 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
2. New Jersey
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 1,387 Average annual salary: $65,575 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
3. New York
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 1,620 Average annual salary: $68,555 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
4. Wyoming
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 93 Average annual salary: $58,546 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
5. Massachusetts
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 933 Average annual salary: $77,125 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
6. Connecticut
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 645 Average annual salary: $57,640 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.68
7. Pennsylvania
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 1,315 Average annual salary: $60,260 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
8. Illinois
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 1,920 Average annual salary: $54,507 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
9. Oregon
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 383 Average annual salary: $63,246 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
10. Florida
Total elementary education teacher jobs: 1,809 Average annual salary: $56,050 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 1
Elementary education teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an elementary education teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an elementary education teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $68,332 | $55,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,067 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $65,575 | $53,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,387 |
| 3 | New York | $68,555 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,620 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $58,546 | $49,000 | 579,315 | 93 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $77,125 | $63,000 | 6,859,819 | 933 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $57,640 | $47,000 | 3,588,184 | 645 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $60,260 | $49,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,315 |
| 8 | Illinois | $54,507 | $45,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,920 |
| 9 | Oregon | $63,246 | $53,000 | 4,142,776 | 383 |
| 10 | Florida | $56,050 | $48,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,809 |
| 11 | Iowa | $56,821 | $47,000 | 3,145,711 | 377 |
| 12 | Alaska | $67,421 | $62,000 | 739,795 | 44 |
| 13 | Delaware | $53,024 | $43,000 | 961,939 | 165 |
| 14 | Nevada | $48,441 | $40,000 | 2,998,039 | 667 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $54,108 | $44,000 | 1,059,639 | 120 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $49,100 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 288 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $50,023 | $42,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,074 |
| 18 | Vermont | $52,848 | $44,000 | 623,657 | 78 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $48,749 | $40,000 | 1,342,795 | 322 |
| 20 | Texas | $50,085 | $42,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,259 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $53,329 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 76 |
| 22 | California | $58,554 | $48,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,577 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $54,896 | $44,000 | 693,972 | 216 |
| 24 | Washington | $54,095 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 656 |
| 25 | Colorado | $48,871 | $41,000 | 5,607,154 | 976 |
| 26 | Missouri | $49,187 | $41,000 | 6,113,532 | 583 |
| 27 | Michigan | $46,109 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,114 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $47,511 | $40,000 | 5,024,369 | 505 |
| 29 | Georgia | $48,406 | $41,000 | 10,429,379 | 997 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $46,056 | $39,000 | 6,715,984 | 542 |
| 31 | Kansas | $45,450 | $38,000 | 2,913,123 | 373 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $45,731 | $38,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,057 |
| 33 | Maine | $45,574 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 152 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $44,850 | $37,000 | 2,088,070 | 295 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $46,741 | $39,000 | 4,684,333 | 296 |
| 36 | Arizona | $43,658 | $36,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,095 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $46,084 | $38,000 | 4,454,189 | 248 |
| 38 | Alabama | $46,059 | $39,000 | 4,874,747 | 269 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $45,792 | $37,000 | 1,815,857 | 90 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $51,319 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 56 |
| 41 | Idaho | $45,304 | $38,000 | 1,716,943 | 154 |
| 42 | Virginia | $44,083 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 949 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $40,417 | $34,000 | 3,930,864 | 390 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $43,655 | $36,000 | 5,795,483 | 466 |
| 45 | Montana | $39,382 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 170 |
| 46 | Ohio | $42,238 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 860 |
| 47 | Indiana | $39,875 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 735 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $43,416 | $36,000 | 869,666 | 46 |
| 49 | Utah | $42,974 | $35,000 | 3,101,833 | 256 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $41,403 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 183 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $40,807 | $34,000 | 2,984,100 | 194 |
Highest paying states for elementary education teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Elementary Education Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $68,332 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $65,575 |
| 3 | New York | $68,555 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $58,546 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $77,125 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $57,640 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $60,260 |
| 8 | Illinois | $54,507 |
| 9 | Oregon | $63,246 |
| 10 | Florida | $56,050 |
| 11 | Iowa | $56,821 |
| 12 | Alaska | $67,421 |
| 13 | Delaware | $53,024 |
| 14 | Nevada | $48,441 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $54,108 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $49,100 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $50,023 |
| 18 | Vermont | $52,848 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $48,749 |
| 20 | Texas | $50,085 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $53,329 |
| 22 | California | $58,554 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $54,896 |
| 24 | Washington | $54,095 |
| 25 | Colorado | $48,871 |
| 26 | Missouri | $49,187 |
| 27 | Michigan | $46,109 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $47,511 |
| 29 | Georgia | $48,406 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $46,056 |
| 31 | Kansas | $45,450 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $45,731 |
| 33 | Maine | $45,574 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $44,850 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $46,741 |
| 36 | Arizona | $43,658 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $46,084 |
| 38 | Alabama | $46,059 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $45,792 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $51,319 |
| 41 | Idaho | $45,304 |
| 42 | Virginia | $44,083 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $40,417 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $43,655 |
| 45 | Montana | $39,382 |
| 46 | Ohio | $42,238 |
| 47 | Indiana | $39,875 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $43,416 |
| 49 | Utah | $42,974 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $41,403 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $40,807 |
Expert opinions on the best states for elementary education teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for elementary education 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