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Best states for a social studies teacher
Quoted expert
Dr. Mark Williams Ph.D.
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Are you thinking of becoming a social studies teacher and really want to work at Middle School? Turns out, your chances to become a social studies teacher are better in some states than others.As social studies teachers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for social studies teachers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a social studies teacher, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for social studies teachers. New York is the best state for social studies teachers, where the median salary is $68,181.We found that New York is the best state for social studies teacher jobs, whereas Missouri is the worst.
10 best states for social studies teachers in 2026
1. New York
Total social studies teacher jobs: 2,059 Average annual salary: $68,181 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
2. Maryland
Total social studies teacher jobs: 1,286 Average annual salary: $64,852 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
3. Washington
Total social studies teacher jobs: 1,063 Average annual salary: $68,443 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
4. Delaware
Total social studies teacher jobs: 245 Average annual salary: $61,224 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
5. Massachusetts
Total social studies teacher jobs: 1,392 Average annual salary: $65,848 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
6. Rhode Island
Total social studies teacher jobs: 166 Average annual salary: $65,213 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
7. Vermont
Total social studies teacher jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $57,728 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
8. New Jersey
Total social studies teacher jobs: 1,485 Average annual salary: $61,101 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
9. Connecticut
Total social studies teacher jobs: 720 Average annual salary: $57,263 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
10. Wyoming
Total social studies teacher jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $54,789 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
Social studies teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a social studies teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a social studies teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $68,181 | $47,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,059 |
| 2 | Maryland | $64,852 | $44,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,286 |
| 3 | Washington | $68,443 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,063 |
| 4 | Delaware | $61,224 | $42,000 | 961,939 | 245 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $65,848 | $46,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,392 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $65,213 | $45,000 | 1,059,639 | 166 |
| 7 | Vermont | $57,728 | $41,000 | 623,657 | 156 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $61,101 | $42,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,485 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $57,263 | $39,000 | 3,588,184 | 720 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $54,789 | $39,000 | 579,315 | 109 |
| 11 | Illinois | $53,077 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,156 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $57,924 | $39,000 | 693,972 | 258 |
| 13 | Alaska | $55,041 | $45,000 | 739,795 | 106 |
| 14 | Nevada | $48,240 | $33,000 | 2,998,039 | 497 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $53,754 | $36,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,360 |
| 16 | Michigan | $48,009 | $33,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,429 |
| 17 | Virginia | $55,657 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,105 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $49,323 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 326 |
| 19 | Utah | $53,897 | $38,000 | 3,101,833 | 359 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $45,908 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 389 |
| 21 | California | $53,096 | $36,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,972 |
| 22 | Oregon | $51,528 | $35,000 | 4,142,776 | 501 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $55,483 | $44,000 | 1,427,538 | 106 |
| 24 | Ohio | $50,187 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,042 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $50,295 | $35,000 | 5,795,483 | 567 |
| 26 | Alabama | $50,242 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 339 |
| 27 | Maine | $45,797 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 237 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $44,700 | $31,000 | 1,342,795 | 357 |
| 29 | Georgia | $49,320 | $37,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,197 |
| 30 | Kansas | $45,924 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 387 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $47,158 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 108 |
| 32 | Idaho | $44,823 | $31,000 | 1,716,943 | 277 |
| 33 | Florida | $45,243 | $36,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,238 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $45,846 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 896 |
| 35 | Texas | $45,152 | $34,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,462 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $45,358 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 155 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $45,077 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 626 |
| 38 | Iowa | $44,074 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 447 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $44,748 | $32,000 | 4,454,189 | 358 |
| 40 | Montana | $38,111 | $27,000 | 1,050,493 | 238 |
| 41 | Colorado | $39,121 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,110 |
| 42 | Arizona | $38,791 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,043 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $40,612 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 552 |
| 44 | Indiana | $41,909 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 738 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $38,093 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 427 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $36,954 | $27,000 | 3,930,864 | 441 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $41,218 | $29,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,053 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $38,034 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 316 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $37,546 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 253 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $33,046 | $23,000 | 869,666 | 129 |
| 51 | Missouri | $33,596 | $24,000 | 6,113,532 | 642 |
Highest paying states for social studies teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Social Studies Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $68,181 |
| 2 | Maryland | $64,852 |
| 3 | Washington | $68,443 |
| 4 | Delaware | $61,224 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $65,848 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $65,213 |
| 7 | Vermont | $57,728 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $61,101 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $57,263 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $54,789 |
| 11 | Illinois | $53,077 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $57,924 |
| 13 | Alaska | $55,041 |
| 14 | Nevada | $48,240 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $53,754 |
| 16 | Michigan | $48,009 |
| 17 | Virginia | $55,657 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $49,323 |
| 19 | Utah | $53,897 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $45,908 |
| 21 | California | $53,096 |
| 22 | Oregon | $51,528 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $55,483 |
| 24 | Ohio | $50,187 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $50,295 |
| 26 | Alabama | $50,242 |
| 27 | Maine | $45,797 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $44,700 |
| 29 | Georgia | $49,320 |
| 30 | Kansas | $45,924 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $47,158 |
| 32 | Idaho | $44,823 |
| 33 | Florida | $45,243 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $45,846 |
| 35 | Texas | $45,152 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $45,358 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $45,077 |
| 38 | Iowa | $44,074 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $44,748 |
| 40 | Montana | $38,111 |
| 41 | Colorado | $39,121 |
| 42 | Arizona | $38,791 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $40,612 |
| 44 | Indiana | $41,909 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $38,093 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $36,954 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $41,218 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $38,034 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $37,546 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $33,046 |
| 51 | Missouri | $33,596 |
Expert opinions on the best states for social studies teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for social studies 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.
Social studies teacher best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025