We’ve all heard the jokes about low teacher pay, but in many states in the U.S., this isn’t a laughing matter. Unfortunately, many teachers are underpaid for taking on one of the most important tasks for a new generation: educating our youth.
Like any other profession, the average salaries of teachers varies from state to state. This isn’t just a small difference either. In some states, salaries are thousands of dollars higher than in other states.
In this post, we’re going to look the pay for new teachers by state. As a teacher gains more experience, they can earn higher pay but we are going to focus solely on the salaries of teachers that are just getting started.
The highest pay in the nation for new teachers is in Washington, D.C. In this area, the average salary is $55,209. New Jersey isn’t far behind with an average salary of $51,443. These are the only two states in the nation where new teachers can make a salary of over $50,000 annually.
The third highest salary for teachers can be found in California, where teachers make almost $47,000. In the states of Alaska and Hawaii, new teachers also earn over $46,000.
Now, let’s take a look at the lowest paid teachers in the nation. Montana currently has the lowest salary for teachers at $31,418 – over $20,000 less than the average salary in Washington, D.C., and New Jersey. Oklahoma also has low starting salaries for teachers at just over $32,000 per year. A number of other states including Missouri, South Carolina, Arkansas, Colorado, and West Virginia all have starting salaries that are less than $35,000.