With World Teachers’ Day around the corner but teachers making an average of $2,150 less per year than they did 10 years ago when adjusted for inflation, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst States for Teachers, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.
In order to help educators find the best opportunities and teaching environments in the U.S., WalletHub 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.
| Best States for Teachers | Worst States for Teachers |
| 1. New York | 42. Nevada |
| 2. Utah | 43. Montana |
| 3. Virginia | 44. Maine |
| 4. Florida | 45. Louisiana |
| 5. Washington | 46. Missouri |
| 6. New Jersey | 47. New Mexico |
| 7. Pennsylvania | 48. Arizona |
| 8. Massachusetts | 49. District of Columbia |
| 9. Maryland | 50. New Hampshire |
| 10. Connecticut | 51. Hawaii |
Best vs. Worst
- Texas has the highest annual average starting salary for teachers (adjusted for cost of living), $46,113, which is 1.5 times higher than in Montana, the state with the lowest at $31,215.
- 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.
- Vermont has the lowest pupil-teacher ratio, 10.34, which is 2.2 times lower than in Utah, the state with the highest at 22.63.
- New York has the highest public-school spending per student, $29,897, which is 3.5 times higher than in Idaho, the state with the lowest at $8,662.
