(NewsNation) — Despite teachers being so highly valued in impacting the next generation and engaging students in learning every day, the profession itself is amongst the lowest paying jobs for college graduates.
On average, teachers make $2,150 less per year than they did 10 years ago when adjusted for inflation, according to WalletHub’s 2022’s Best & Worst States for Teachers report.
The personal finance website analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 24 key metrics, ranging from teachers’ income growth potential to the pupil-teacher ratio to whether the state has a digital learning plan to find the best opportunities and teaching environments in the U.S.
The states where its best to be a teacher:
- New York
- Utah
- Virginia
- Florida
- Washington
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Connecticut
The states where its worst to be a teacher:
- Hawaii
- New Hampshire
- Washington, D.C.
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Missouri
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Montana
- Nevada
According to WalletHub, Texas has the highest annual average starting salary for teachers (adjusted for cost of living) at $46,113, which is 1.5 times higher than in Montana, the state with the lowest at $31,215.
Meanwhile, New York has the highest average annual salary for public-school teachers (adjusted for cost of living), $80,286, which is 1.7 times higher than in Hawaii, the state with the lowest at $47,156.
Nevada has the lowest projected number of teachers per 1,000 students by the year 2028 (indicating the size of competition), 7, which is 14 times lower than in the District of Columbia, which has the highest at 98.