Best & Worst States for Teachers

Teaching can be a profoundly rewarding career, considering the critical role educators play in shaping young minds. Unfortunately, many teachers find themselves overworked and underpaid. Education jobs are among the lowest-paying occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree, and teacher salaries consistently fail to keep up with inflation. Meanwhile, the Every Student Succeeds Act demands growth in student performance. On top of all that, teachers have to deal with the continued presence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the high amount of learning loss that it has caused over the last two years.

Teachers are more fairly compensated and better protected in some states than in others, though. The best states are less likely to face a revolving door of teacher turnover. To help America’s educators find the best opportunities and teaching environments, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 24 key indicators of teacher-friendliness. Our data set ranges from teachers’ income growth potential to the pupil-teacher ratio to whether the state has a digital learning plan.

Main Findings

Best States for Teachers

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Annual Salaries (Adjusted for Cost of Living)

Highest

• 1. New York
• 2. Illinois
• 3. Michigan
• 4. Pennsylvania
• 5. Washington

Lowest

• 47. District of Columbia
• 48. Florida
• 49. South Dakota
• 50. Maine
• 51. Hawaii

Best State vs. Worst State: 2x Difference

New York vs. Hawaii

Projected Teachers Turnover

Lowest

• 1. Kentucky
• 2. Montana
• 3. Missouri
• 4. New York
• 5. Alabama

Highest

• 44. Indiana
• 45. Virginia
• 46. Arizona
• 47. Vermont
• 48. District of Columbia

Best State vs. Worst State: 5x Difference

Kentucky vs. District of Columbia

Projected Competition (i.e. Fewest & Most Teachers per Student in Year 2028)

Lowest

• 1. Nevada
• 2. Arizona
• 3. Alaska
• 4. North Carolina
• 5. Oregon

Highest

• 47. Wyoming
• 48. Nebraska
• T-49. North Dakota
• T-49. Iowa
• T-49. District of Columbia

Best State vs. Worst State: 15x Difference

Nevada vs. District of Columbia

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Lowest

• 1. Vermont
• 2. Maine
• 3. New Hampshire
• 4. New Jersey
• 5. Connecticut

Highest

• 47. Oregon
• 48. Nevada
• 49. Arizona
• 50. California
• 51. Utah

Best State vs. Worst State: 2x Difference

Vermont vs. Utah

Public-School Spending per Student

Highest

• 1. New York
• 2. District of Columbia
• 3. Vermont
• 4. New Jersey
• 5. Massachusetts

Lowest

• 47. Arizona
• 48. Missouri
• 49. Mississippi
• 50. Utah
• 51. Idaho

Best State vs. Worst State: 3x Difference

New York vs. Idaho

School Systems

Best

• 1. Massachusetts
• 2. Connecticut
• 3. New Jersey
• 4. Virginia
• 5. Maryland

Worst

• 47. West Virginia
• 48. Arizona
• 49. Louisiana
• 50. Alaska
• 51. New Mexico

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Ask the Experts

Teachers must be able to make a reasonable living in order to meet the challenges of their profession. For more insight into the issues plaguing teachers and possible solutions for overcoming them, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in on with their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are the biggest issues teachers face today?
2. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers?
3. What tips can you offer young teachers looking for a place to settle?
4. Do you think performance-based compensation -- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations -- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes?
5. What are some key measures to implement in order to protect both teachers and students of the ongoing healthcare challenges?

Ask the Experts

Gema Zamarro
Ph.D. – Professor of Education Reform and Economics, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Education Reform – University of Arkansas
Read More

Rene S. Parmar
Dean, School of Education – Lehman College – City University of New York
Read More

William Price
Former Superintendent in Michigan, Professor of Educational Leadership – Eastern Michigan University
Read More

Christopher H. Tienken
Ed.D. – Editor, Kappa Delta Pi Record, AASA National Research Professor in Residence, College of Education and Human Services, Department of Education Leadership, Management, and Policy – Seton Hall University
Read More

Amanda Rutherford
Associate Professor and Director, Undergraduate Honors Program, Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs – Indiana University-Bloomington
Read More

Andrew Furco
Professor of Education, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development – University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the teacher-friendliest states in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, “Opportunity & Competition” and “Academic & Work Environment.” Because competitive salaries and job security are integral to a well-balanced personal and professional life, we assigned a heavier weight to the first category.

We evaluated the two dimensions using 24 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for living and working as a teacher.

Finally, we determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Opportunity & Competition - Total Points: 70

• Average Starting Salary for Teachers: Double Weight (~10.77 Points)
  Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living. State Cost of Living Index was estimated by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state.
• Average Salary for Teachers: Full Weight (~5.38 Points)
  Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living. State Cost of Living Index was estimated by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state.
• Teachers’ Income Growth Potential: Full Weight (~5.38 Points)
• 10-Year Change in Teacher Salaries: Full Weight (~5.38 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the change in current dollars for teacher salaries between the 2012–2013 and the 2021–2022 academic years.
• Average Teacher Pension: Full Weight (~5.38 Points)
  Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living. State Cost of Living Index was estimated by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state.
• Share of New Teachers with Inadequate Pensions: Full Weight (~5.38 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the share of new teachers who will not break even on their pensions. In other words, the amount of their future pension benefits will be less than the contributions they made to the state pension plan during their career.
• Projected Teacher Competition in Year 2028: Full Weight (~5.38 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the projected number of teachers per 1,000 students by year 2028.
• Public-School Enrollment Growth: Full Weight (~5.38 Points)
  Note: “Growth” was measured by comparing public-school enrollment in fall 2020 versus fall 2021.
• Length of Time Before Tenure Kicks in: Double Weight (~10.77 Points)
• Teacher Tenure Protections: Full Weight (~5.38 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the strength of the state law, if any, protecting teachers’ tenure.
• Teacher Preparation Program Completion: Full Weight (~5.38 Points)
  A teacher preparation program is designed to prepare both undergraduate and graduate students to become licensed teachers. Programs can offer students specialized coursework in the grade level and subjects they are interested in teaching. The teacher preparation program also includes a hands-on student teaching experience, which is required in most states for licensing. Typical coursework covers:
  • Issues in education
  • Child or adolescent development
  • Student assessment
  • Early childhood methods
  • Language and literacy
  • Educational psychology

Academic & Work Environment - Total Points: 30

• Existence of Digital Learning Plan: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of state comprehensive digital learning strategies for schools deploying technology, a series of trainings for teachers, and instructional resources for building remote lesson plans.
• State Statute on Out-of-School Access to Instructional Materials: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers state statute on accessibility of digital content and instructional materials outside of the classroom.
• State Guidance on Accessible Technologies: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence of absence of state accessibility assurance to acceptable technologies for providing instructional content.
• Quality of School System: Triple Weight (~6.67 Points)
  Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Best & Worst School Systems” ranking.
• Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Public-School Spending per Student: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the annual state and local expenditures for K–12 public schools per capita.
• Presence of Annual Teacher-Evaluation Requirement: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of an annual evaluation requirement policy for all teachers in the state.
• Presence of Teacher-Effectiveness Requirement: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of state implemented policies for “objective student growth as part of teacher evaluation system,” as described by the National Council on Teacher Quality.
• Projected Share of Teacher Turnover: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the share of teachers “planning to leave the teaching profession as soon as possible or as soon as a more desirable job opportunity arises,” according to the Learning Policy Institute.
• Share of Teachers Who Feel Supported by Their Administrator: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the share of teachers who strongly agree that their school administration’s behavior toward the staff is supportive and encouraging. LPI analysis of Public School Teacher File, 2016, from the Schools and Staffing Survey, National Center for Education Statistics.
• Average Commute Time: Half Weight (~1.11 Points)
• Prevalence of Childhood Disadvantage: Half Weight (~1.11 Points)
  Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Most Underprivileged Children” ranking.
• Working Mom-Friendliness: Half Weight (~1.11 Points)
  Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Working Moms” ranking.

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, National Education Association, National Center for Education Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research, TeacherPensions.org, ProCon.org, National Council on Teacher Quality, Projections Central - State Occupational Projections, Learning Policy Institute, Education Commission of the States, State Educational Technology Directors Association and WalletHub research.

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