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Best states for an elementary school 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 school 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. Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of elementary school teachers in America is $72,000.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for elementary school teachers.We found that Maryland is the best state for elementary school teacher jobs, whereas Mississippi is the worst.
10 best states for elementary school teachers in 2025
1. Maryland
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 1,063 Average annual salary: $78,444 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
2. Connecticut
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 682 Average annual salary: $69,182 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.82
3. New York
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 1,624 Average annual salary: $75,352 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
4. New Jersey
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 1,432 Average annual salary: $66,655 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
5. Massachusetts
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 951 Average annual salary: $75,702 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
6. Rhode Island
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 155 Average annual salary: $64,223 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
7. District of Columbia
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 180 Average annual salary: $70,163 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
8. Oregon
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 501 Average annual salary: $63,016 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. Pennsylvania
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 1,312 Average annual salary: $60,758 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1
10. Washington
Total elementary school teacher jobs: 632 Average annual salary: $69,157 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
Elementary school teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an elementary school teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an elementary school teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $78,444 | $52,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,063 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $69,182 | $46,000 | 3,588,184 | 682 |
| 3 | New York | $75,352 | $50,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,624 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $66,655 | $44,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,432 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $75,702 | $51,000 | 6,859,819 | 951 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $64,223 | $43,000 | 1,059,639 | 155 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $70,163 | $46,000 | 693,972 | 180 |
| 8 | Oregon | $63,016 | $43,000 | 4,142,776 | 501 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $60,758 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,312 |
| 10 | Washington | $69,157 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 632 |
| 11 | Michigan | $54,338 | $36,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,205 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $53,028 | $36,000 | 1,342,795 | 358 |
| 13 | Alaska | $68,852 | $55,000 | 739,795 | 58 |
| 14 | Delaware | $54,202 | $36,000 | 961,939 | 141 |
| 15 | Virginia | $59,021 | $39,000 | 8,470,020 | 859 |
| 16 | Illinois | $49,659 | $34,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,281 |
| 17 | Nevada | $46,984 | $32,000 | 2,998,039 | 654 |
| 18 | Vermont | $54,676 | $37,000 | 623,657 | 65 |
| 19 | California | $60,525 | $42,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,437 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $50,641 | $36,000 | 1,920,076 | 210 |
| 21 | Georgia | $49,921 | $37,000 | 10,429,379 | 891 |
| 22 | Ohio | $50,483 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 852 |
| 23 | Montana | $44,226 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 186 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $44,961 | $31,000 | 5,576,606 | 963 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $44,125 | $32,000 | 2,088,070 | 287 |
| 26 | Texas | $46,249 | $35,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,059 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $45,927 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 53 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $45,901 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 462 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $54,436 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 44 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $45,109 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 229 |
| 31 | Florida | $43,762 | $35,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,555 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $44,964 | $30,000 | 1,815,857 | 66 |
| 33 | Iowa | $42,894 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 354 |
| 34 | Maine | $45,334 | $31,000 | 1,335,907 | 82 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $41,329 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 476 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $43,435 | $31,000 | 755,393 | 61 |
| 37 | Arizona | $38,982 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,039 |
| 38 | Colorado | $41,190 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 946 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $40,959 | $28,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,004 |
| 40 | Kansas | $38,897 | $28,000 | 2,913,123 | 370 |
| 41 | Alabama | $43,565 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 213 |
| 42 | Idaho | $41,138 | $28,000 | 1,716,943 | 161 |
| 43 | Missouri | $38,084 | $27,000 | 6,113,532 | 685 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $39,315 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 311 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $35,788 | $26,000 | 3,930,864 | 397 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $38,171 | $27,000 | 6,715,984 | 501 |
| 47 | Utah | $40,204 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 191 |
| 48 | Indiana | $36,074 | $25,000 | 6,666,818 | 736 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $37,463 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 28 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $35,863 | $26,000 | 3,004,279 | 160 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $35,289 | $26,000 | 2,984,100 | 178 |
Highest paying states for elementary school teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Elementary School Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $78,444 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $69,182 |
| 3 | New York | $75,352 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $66,655 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $75,702 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $64,223 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $70,163 |
| 8 | Oregon | $63,016 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $60,758 |
| 10 | Washington | $69,157 |
| 11 | Michigan | $54,338 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $53,028 |
| 13 | Alaska | $68,852 |
| 14 | Delaware | $54,202 |
| 15 | Virginia | $59,021 |
| 16 | Illinois | $49,659 |
| 17 | Nevada | $46,984 |
| 18 | Vermont | $54,676 |
| 19 | California | $60,525 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $50,641 |
| 21 | Georgia | $49,921 |
| 22 | Ohio | $50,483 |
| 23 | Montana | $44,226 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $44,961 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $44,125 |
| 26 | Texas | $46,249 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $45,927 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $45,901 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $54,436 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $45,109 |
| 31 | Florida | $43,762 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $44,964 |
| 33 | Iowa | $42,894 |
| 34 | Maine | $45,334 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $41,329 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $43,435 |
| 37 | Arizona | $38,982 |
| 38 | Colorado | $41,190 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $40,959 |
| 40 | Kansas | $38,897 |
| 41 | Alabama | $43,565 |
| 42 | Idaho | $41,138 |
| 43 | Missouri | $38,084 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $39,315 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $35,788 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $38,171 |
| 47 | Utah | $40,204 |
| 48 | Indiana | $36,074 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $37,463 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $35,863 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $35,289 |
Expert opinions on the best states for elementary school teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for elementary school 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