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Best states for a music teacher
Quoted expert
Dr. Michael Mapp
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for music teachers in the United States. Music teacher positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for music teachers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for music teachers. We found that Massachusetts is the best state in the nation for music teachers, and people in Dartmouth earn the most in the field.
In order to get you the best states for music teachers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that Massachusetts is the best state for music teacher jobs, whereas Utah is the worst.
10 best states for music teachers in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total music teacher jobs: 696 Average annual salary: $67,799 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
2. Maryland
Total music teacher jobs: 697 Average annual salary: $62,205 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.55
3. New Jersey
Total music teacher jobs: 936 Average annual salary: $59,747 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.67
4. New York
Total music teacher jobs: 934 Average annual salary: $64,219 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
5. Pennsylvania
Total music teacher jobs: 815 Average annual salary: $60,752 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
6. District of Columbia
Total music teacher jobs: 116 Average annual salary: $66,709 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
7. Connecticut
Total music teacher jobs: 227 Average annual salary: $57,552 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
8. Michigan
Total music teacher jobs: 646 Average annual salary: $50,758 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
9. Nebraska
Total music teacher jobs: 147 Average annual salary: $54,419 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
10. Illinois
Total music teacher jobs: 1,332 Average annual salary: $51,300 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
Music teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a music teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a music teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $67,799 | $48,000 | 6,859,819 | 696 |
| 2 | Maryland | $62,205 | $43,000 | 6,052,177 | 697 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $59,747 | $41,000 | 9,005,644 | 936 |
| 4 | New York | $64,219 | $45,000 | 19,849,399 | 934 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $60,752 | $42,000 | 12,805,537 | 815 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $66,709 | $46,000 | 693,972 | 116 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $57,552 | $40,000 | 3,588,184 | 227 |
| 8 | Michigan | $50,758 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 646 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $54,419 | $39,000 | 1,920,076 | 147 |
| 10 | Illinois | $51,300 | $36,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,332 |
| 11 | Ohio | $54,937 | $38,000 | 11,658,609 | 586 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $56,540 | $40,000 | 1,059,639 | 48 |
| 13 | Iowa | $51,197 | $36,000 | 3,145,711 | 231 |
| 14 | Georgia | $51,015 | $37,000 | 10,429,379 | 701 |
| 15 | Washington | $55,791 | $39,000 | 7,405,743 | 403 |
| 16 | Virginia | $53,184 | $37,000 | 8,470,020 | 625 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $47,504 | $34,000 | 1,342,795 | 187 |
| 18 | Alaska | $57,128 | $48,000 | 739,795 | 17 |
| 19 | California | $55,163 | $38,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,750 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $48,522 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 647 |
| 21 | Vermont | $50,507 | $36,000 | 623,657 | 43 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $46,801 | $33,000 | 5,576,606 | 524 |
| 23 | Delaware | $48,119 | $33,000 | 961,939 | 91 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $49,129 | $35,000 | 4,454,189 | 126 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $47,342 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 35 |
| 26 | Alabama | $48,335 | $35,000 | 4,874,747 | 156 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $43,978 | $32,000 | 2,088,070 | 199 |
| 28 | Texas | $46,468 | $33,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,369 |
| 29 | Oregon | $49,372 | $34,000 | 4,142,776 | 204 |
| 30 | Indiana | $42,693 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 547 |
| 31 | Florida | $44,184 | $32,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,285 |
| 32 | Montana | $44,134 | $32,000 | 1,050,493 | 93 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $44,893 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 315 |
| 34 | Kansas | $41,722 | $30,000 | 2,913,123 | 236 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $46,074 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 20 |
| 36 | Nevada | $40,106 | $28,000 | 2,998,039 | 276 |
| 37 | Colorado | $41,165 | $30,000 | 5,607,154 | 634 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $44,137 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 24 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $39,609 | $28,000 | 3,930,864 | 249 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $40,495 | $29,000 | 6,715,984 | 352 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $48,034 | $37,000 | 1,427,538 | 10 |
| 42 | Missouri | $40,344 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 366 |
| 43 | Maine | $41,988 | $30,000 | 1,335,907 | 40 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $38,796 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 313 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $40,711 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 92 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $40,565 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 169 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $40,012 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 15 |
| 48 | Idaho | $38,855 | $27,000 | 1,716,943 | 94 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $37,892 | $27,000 | 3,004,279 | 133 |
| 50 | Arizona | $36,636 | $26,000 | 7,016,270 | 337 |
| 51 | Utah | $38,121 | $27,000 | 3,101,833 | 114 |
Highest paying states for music teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Music Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $67,799 |
| 2 | Maryland | $62,205 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $59,747 |
| 4 | New York | $64,219 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $60,752 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $66,709 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $57,552 |
| 8 | Michigan | $50,758 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $54,419 |
| 10 | Illinois | $51,300 |
| 11 | Ohio | $54,937 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $56,540 |
| 13 | Iowa | $51,197 |
| 14 | Georgia | $51,015 |
| 15 | Washington | $55,791 |
| 16 | Virginia | $53,184 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $47,504 |
| 18 | Alaska | $57,128 |
| 19 | California | $55,163 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $48,522 |
| 21 | Vermont | $50,507 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $46,801 |
| 23 | Delaware | $48,119 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $49,129 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $47,342 |
| 26 | Alabama | $48,335 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $43,978 |
| 28 | Texas | $46,468 |
| 29 | Oregon | $49,372 |
| 30 | Indiana | $42,693 |
| 31 | Florida | $44,184 |
| 32 | Montana | $44,134 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $44,893 |
| 34 | Kansas | $41,722 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $46,074 |
| 36 | Nevada | $40,106 |
| 37 | Colorado | $41,165 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $44,137 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $39,609 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $40,495 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $48,034 |
| 42 | Missouri | $40,344 |
| 43 | Maine | $41,988 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $38,796 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $40,711 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $40,565 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $40,012 |
| 48 | Idaho | $38,855 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $37,892 |
| 50 | Arizona | $36,636 |
| 51 | Utah | $38,121 |
Expert opinions on the best states for music teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for music teachers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Michael Mapp
Director of Bands, Professor of Conducting, New Mexico State University
When seeking employment no one should be afraid to go where the jobs are or create your own. As musicians, we are naturally creative, but the market is competitive. One of the most plentiful areas for employment is in the realm of education and anyone can normally find a job somewhere, but they have to be willing to go where the jobs are. Consideration should be given to cost of living versus salary offered, population, and culture. One should seek out areas that provide resources to support a musical career such as networking opportunities and an established culture that supports creative, artistic endeavors.
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Updated January 8, 2025