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Best states for a teacher
Quoted expert
Dr. Mark Williams Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for teachers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for teacher jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Our research found that Maryland is the best state for teachers, while Maryland and Hawaii are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Maryland has a median salary of $61,254 and Maryland has the highest median salary among all 50 states for teachers.
Maryland is the best state for jobs for teachers, and South Dakota is the worst. The most common pay in Maryland is $61,254, while the median pay in South Dakota is $35,107.Maryland is the best state, and Salisbury is the city with the highest pay for teachers.
10 best states for teachers in 2026
1. Maryland
Total teacher jobs: 859 Average annual salary: $61,254 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
2. Connecticut
Total teacher jobs: 629 Average annual salary: $53,838 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 2.19
3. New York
Total teacher jobs: 1,164 Average annual salary: $57,919 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
4. District of Columbia
Total teacher jobs: 174 Average annual salary: $57,460 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
5. Illinois
Total teacher jobs: 1,620 Average annual salary: $48,469 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.57
6. Massachusetts
Total teacher jobs: 723 Average annual salary: $53,435 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. Michigan
Total teacher jobs: 843 Average annual salary: $46,247 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
8. New Jersey
Total teacher jobs: 1,156 Average annual salary: $50,693 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.68
9. Texas
Total teacher jobs: 1,747 Average annual salary: $47,693 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1
10. Pennsylvania
Total teacher jobs: 926 Average annual salary: $47,859 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
Teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $61,254 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 859 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $53,838 | $34,000 | 3,588,184 | 629 |
| 3 | New York | $57,919 | $37,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,164 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $57,460 | $37,000 | 693,972 | 174 |
| 5 | Illinois | $48,469 | $34,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,620 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $53,435 | $34,000 | 6,859,819 | 723 |
| 7 | Michigan | $46,247 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 843 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $50,693 | $32,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,156 |
| 9 | Texas | $47,693 | $35,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,747 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $47,859 | $31,000 | 12,805,537 | 926 |
| 11 | Washington | $53,255 | $36,000 | 7,405,743 | 462 |
| 12 | Virginia | $51,980 | $34,000 | 8,470,020 | 716 |
| 13 | California | $57,193 | $39,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,815 |
| 14 | Alaska | $54,655 | $41,000 | 739,795 | 17 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $49,690 | $31,000 | 1,059,639 | 60 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $59,222 | $36,000 | 1,427,538 | 10 |
| 17 | Nevada | $42,775 | $29,000 | 2,998,039 | 746 |
| 18 | Ohio | $45,004 | $30,000 | 11,658,609 | 684 |
| 19 | Georgia | $45,908 | $33,000 | 10,429,379 | 757 |
| 20 | Oregon | $48,930 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 241 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $42,397 | $31,000 | 2,088,070 | 236 |
| 22 | Florida | $43,926 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,305 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $44,652 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 37 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $44,120 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 134 |
| 25 | Alabama | $44,472 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 153 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $42,129 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 174 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $41,591 | $30,000 | 6,715,984 | 396 |
| 28 | Delaware | $43,641 | $28,000 | 961,939 | 99 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $41,413 | $29,000 | 5,576,606 | 625 |
| 30 | Kansas | $40,196 | $29,000 | 2,913,123 | 248 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $40,231 | $25,000 | 1,342,795 | 216 |
| 32 | Iowa | $40,723 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 239 |
| 33 | Arizona | $38,865 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,095 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $41,909 | $28,000 | 1,815,857 | 23 |
| 35 | Colorado | $39,734 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 702 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $40,110 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 383 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $39,642 | $27,000 | 10,273,419 | 827 |
| 38 | Utah | $41,116 | $29,000 | 3,101,833 | 127 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $40,132 | $27,000 | 5,795,483 | 344 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $40,425 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 180 |
| 41 | Indiana | $37,673 | $26,000 | 6,666,818 | 535 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $39,537 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 99 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $35,931 | $26,000 | 3,930,864 | 292 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $38,244 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 141 |
| 45 | Montana | $34,041 | $24,000 | 1,050,493 | 133 |
| 46 | Vermont | $38,680 | $25,000 | 623,657 | 42 |
| 47 | Idaho | $37,629 | $26,000 | 1,716,943 | 98 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $38,308 | $27,000 | 755,393 | 21 |
| 49 | Missouri | $36,768 | $26,000 | 6,113,532 | 427 |
| 50 | Maine | $35,260 | $22,000 | 1,335,907 | 41 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $35,107 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 17 |
Highest paying states for teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $61,254 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $53,838 |
| 3 | New York | $57,919 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $57,460 |
| 5 | Illinois | $48,469 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $53,435 |
| 7 | Michigan | $46,247 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $50,693 |
| 9 | Texas | $47,693 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $47,859 |
| 11 | Washington | $53,255 |
| 12 | Virginia | $51,980 |
| 13 | California | $57,193 |
| 14 | Alaska | $54,655 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $49,690 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $59,222 |
| 17 | Nevada | $42,775 |
| 18 | Ohio | $45,004 |
| 19 | Georgia | $45,908 |
| 20 | Oregon | $48,930 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $42,397 |
| 22 | Florida | $43,926 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $44,652 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $44,120 |
| 25 | Alabama | $44,472 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $42,129 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $41,591 |
| 28 | Delaware | $43,641 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $41,413 |
| 30 | Kansas | $40,196 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $40,231 |
| 32 | Iowa | $40,723 |
| 33 | Arizona | $38,865 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $41,909 |
| 35 | Colorado | $39,734 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $40,110 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $39,642 |
| 38 | Utah | $41,116 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $40,132 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $40,425 |
| 41 | Indiana | $37,673 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $39,537 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $35,931 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $38,244 |
| 45 | Montana | $34,041 |
| 46 | Vermont | $38,680 |
| 47 | Idaho | $37,629 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $38,308 |
| 49 | Missouri | $36,768 |
| 50 | Maine | $35,260 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $35,107 |
Expert opinions on the best states for teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for 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