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Best states for a professional educator
Quoted expert
Teresa Eagle
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for professional educators? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for professional educator jobs.In order to help you decide which state is the best for professional educators, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for professional educator jobs.
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 professional educators.We found that the South is best for professional educators, and the Northeast is the worst. New York, NY is the best city in the country for professional educator jobs, where as New York is the best state in the country.
10 best states for professional educators in 2025
1. New York
Total professional educator jobs: 1,210 Average annual salary: $80,377 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
2. Alaska
Total professional educator jobs: 83 Average annual salary: $66,569 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
3. New Jersey
Total professional educator jobs: 637 Average annual salary: $67,488 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
4. Maryland
Total professional educator jobs: 456 Average annual salary: $74,570 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
5. Pennsylvania
Total professional educator jobs: 1,043 Average annual salary: $55,890 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
6. Connecticut
Total professional educator jobs: 296 Average annual salary: $57,796 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
7. Massachusetts
Total professional educator jobs: 788 Average annual salary: $57,499 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
8. Rhode Island
Total professional educator jobs: 100 Average annual salary: $56,049 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
9. Washington
Total professional educator jobs: 479 Average annual salary: $66,095 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
10. Wyoming
Total professional educator jobs: 80 Average annual salary: $49,032 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.8
Professional educator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a professional educator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a professional educator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $80,377 | $52,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,210 |
| 2 | Alaska | $66,569 | $54,000 | 739,795 | 83 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $67,488 | $44,000 | 9,005,644 | 637 |
| 4 | Maryland | $74,570 | $48,000 | 6,052,177 | 456 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $55,890 | $36,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,043 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $57,796 | $38,000 | 3,588,184 | 296 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $57,499 | $38,000 | 6,859,819 | 788 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $56,049 | $37,000 | 1,059,639 | 100 |
| 9 | Washington | $66,095 | $42,000 | 7,405,743 | 479 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $49,032 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 80 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $65,389 | $42,000 | 693,972 | 114 |
| 12 | Ohio | $52,269 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 724 |
| 13 | Delaware | $50,063 | $32,000 | 961,939 | 181 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $52,176 | $36,000 | 1,920,076 | 155 |
| 15 | Virginia | $58,845 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 464 |
| 16 | Michigan | $53,750 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 486 |
| 17 | Utah | $51,069 | $34,000 | 3,101,833 | 221 |
| 18 | Montana | $47,968 | $32,000 | 1,050,493 | 113 |
| 19 | California | $57,595 | $36,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,976 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $47,100 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 819 |
| 21 | Kansas | $48,717 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 220 |
| 22 | Oregon | $52,453 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 282 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $46,314 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 545 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $49,346 | $33,000 | 4,454,189 | 242 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $45,579 | $31,000 | 755,393 | 118 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $48,586 | $32,000 | 1,342,795 | 129 |
| 27 | Vermont | $47,140 | $31,000 | 623,657 | 79 |
| 28 | Illinois | $51,269 | $34,000 | 12,802,023 | 773 |
| 29 | Iowa | $45,621 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 351 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $46,943 | $32,000 | 6,715,984 | 390 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $43,400 | $28,000 | 1,815,857 | 157 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $45,740 | $31,000 | 2,088,070 | 142 |
| 33 | Alabama | $46,583 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 204 |
| 34 | Nevada | $42,671 | $27,000 | 2,998,039 | 178 |
| 35 | Georgia | $46,136 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 570 |
| 36 | Idaho | $43,321 | $28,000 | 1,716,943 | 124 |
| 37 | Indiana | $40,880 | $27,000 | 6,666,818 | 661 |
| 38 | Colorado | $41,667 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 622 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $43,618 | $30,000 | 1,427,538 | 82 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $41,297 | $28,000 | 869,666 | 89 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $42,162 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 346 |
| 42 | Arizona | $42,340 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 431 |
| 43 | Florida | $43,113 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,097 |
| 44 | Maine | $38,443 | $26,000 | 1,335,907 | 170 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $44,381 | $29,000 | 10,273,419 | 517 |
| 46 | Missouri | $44,354 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 365 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $43,200 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 199 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $39,304 | $27,000 | 2,984,100 | 144 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $37,426 | $26,000 | 3,930,864 | 215 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $39,727 | $27,000 | 3,004,279 | 162 |
| 51 | Texas | $39,775 | $27,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,170 |
Highest paying states for professional educators
| Rank | State | Avg. Professional Educator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $80,377 |
| 2 | Alaska | $66,569 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $67,488 |
| 4 | Maryland | $74,570 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $55,890 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $57,796 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $57,499 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $56,049 |
| 9 | Washington | $66,095 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $49,032 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $65,389 |
| 12 | Ohio | $52,269 |
| 13 | Delaware | $50,063 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $52,176 |
| 15 | Virginia | $58,845 |
| 16 | Michigan | $53,750 |
| 17 | Utah | $51,069 |
| 18 | Montana | $47,968 |
| 19 | California | $57,595 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $47,100 |
| 21 | Kansas | $48,717 |
| 22 | Oregon | $52,453 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $46,314 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $49,346 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $45,579 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $48,586 |
| 27 | Vermont | $47,140 |
| 28 | Illinois | $51,269 |
| 29 | Iowa | $45,621 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $46,943 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $43,400 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $45,740 |
| 33 | Alabama | $46,583 |
| 34 | Nevada | $42,671 |
| 35 | Georgia | $46,136 |
| 36 | Idaho | $43,321 |
| 37 | Indiana | $40,880 |
| 38 | Colorado | $41,667 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $43,618 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $41,297 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $42,162 |
| 42 | Arizona | $42,340 |
| 43 | Florida | $43,113 |
| 44 | Maine | $38,443 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $44,381 |
| 46 | Missouri | $44,354 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $43,200 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $39,304 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $37,426 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $39,727 |
| 51 | Texas | $39,775 |
Expert opinions on the best states for professional educators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for professional educators to find work opportunities?
Teresa Eagle
Dean, Marshall University
Opportunities for teaching careers, across the country, come in waves. Nationally and locally, we are currently experiencing a shortage of teachers, at all levels, and in all content areas. For a job in a specific content or grade level, however, the available positions may not be near the graduate's home. A willingness to relocate often determines whether a graduate can find a current position that matches his or her preparation and preferences. A little Internet exploration can easily find current opportunities in geographic areas of interest.
Professional educator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025