How Much Do Teachers Make by State? Teacher Salary Guide (2026)

· Updated

Teacher pay varies enormously across the United States — by more than $45,000 between the lowest and highest-paying states. This guide provides a comprehensive look at teacher compensation, including salaries, benefits, pensions, and cost-of-living adjustments.

Teacher Salaries by State (2026)

All 50 States Ranked

Rank State Average Salary vs. National Avg Starting Salary
1 New York $95,000 +$25,500 $52,000
2 California $93,000 +$23,500 $51,000
3 Massachusetts $92,000 +$22,500 $50,000
4 Connecticut $84,000 +$14,500 $48,000
5 New Jersey $82,000 +$12,500 $47,000
6 Washington $80,000 +$10,500 $46,000
7 Maryland $78,000 +$8,500 $45,000
8 Alaska $77,000 +$7,500 $49,000
9 Oregon $76,000 +$6,500 $43,000
10 Pennsylvania $75,000 +$5,500 $44,000
11 Rhode Island $74,500 +$5,000 $43,000
12 Illinois $74,000 +$4,500 $42,000
13 Michigan $73,000 +$3,500 $41,000
14 Hawaii $72,000 +$2,500 $47,000
15 Delaware $71,500 +$2,000 $42,000
16 Vermont $71,000 +$1,500 $41,000
17 Minnesota $70,500 +$1,000 $41,000
18 Ohio $70,000 +$500 $40,000
19 Wyoming $69,500 $0 $45,000
20 Virginia $69,000 -$500 $41,000
21 Nevada $68,500 -$1,000 $42,000
22 New Hampshire $68,000 -$1,500 $40,000
23 Wisconsin $67,000 -$2,500 $39,000
24 Colorado $66,500 -$3,000 $40,000
25 Georgia $66,000 -$3,500 $40,000
26 Indiana $65,000 -$4,500 $38,000
27 Iowa $64,500 -$5,000 $38,000
28 Nebraska $64,000 -$5,500 $36,000
29 Maine $63,500 -$6,000 $37,000
30 North Carolina $63,000 -$6,500 $38,000
31 Kentucky $62,500 -$7,000 $36,000
32 Tennessee $62,000 -$7,500 $38,000
33 Kansas $61,000 -$8,500 $36,000
34 Texas $60,500 -$9,000 $38,000
35 Utah $60,000 -$9,500 $40,000
36 Montana $59,500 -$10,000 $35,000
37 North Dakota $59,000 -$10,500 $38,000
38 Alabama $58,500 -$11,000 $36,000
39 South Carolina $58,000 -$11,500 $36,000
40 Idaho $57,500 -$12,000 $35,000
41 Missouri $57,000 -$12,500 $34,000
42 Louisiana $56,000 -$13,500 $35,000
43 Arizona $55,500 -$14,000 $36,000
44 New Mexico $55,000 -$14,500 $36,000
45 Arkansas $54,500 -$15,000 $34,000
46 Florida $54,000 -$15,500 $35,000
47 South Dakota $53,000 -$16,500 $35,000
48 Oklahoma $52,500 -$17,000 $34,000
49 West Virginia $52,000 -$17,500 $34,000
50 Mississippi $50,000 -$19,500 $33,000

Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salaries

Raw salary doesn’t tell the whole story. Here’s what teacher pay looks like adjusted for cost of living:

Adjusted Salary Rankings (Top 15)

Rank State Nominal Salary COL Index Adjusted Salary
1 Wyoming $69,500 92 $75,500
2 Texas $60,500 92 $65,800
3 Pennsylvania $75,000 95 $78,900
4 Ohio $70,000 90 $77,800
5 Michigan $73,000 93 $78,500
6 Georgia $66,000 92 $71,700
7 Indiana $65,000 90 $72,200
8 Iowa $64,500 89 $72,500
9 Nebraska $64,000 90 $71,100
10 North Dakota $59,000 92 $64,100
11 Tennessee $62,000 92 $67,400
12 Missouri $57,000 88 $64,800
13 Wisconsin $67,000 94 $71,300
14 Minnesota $70,500 98 $71,900
15 Illinois $74,000 97 $76,300

States Where COL Changes the Picture

State Nominal Rank Adjusted Rank Change
New York 1 20 ↓ 19
California 2 25 ↓ 23
Hawaii 14 45 ↓ 31
Texas 34 2 ↑ 32
Ohio 18 4 ↑ 14

Teacher Salary by Experience

Typical Salary Schedule Progression

Years Experience BA Degree MA Degree MA+30 Credits
Starting $42,000 $45,000 $48,000
5 years $48,000 $52,000 $56,000
10 years $54,000 $60,000 $65,000
15 years $60,000 $68,000 $74,000
20 years $65,000 $74,000 $82,000
Maximum (25-30 yrs) $70,000 $82,000 $92,000

Salary Growth Over Career

Factor Impact on Salary
Each year of experience +1-3% (varies by district)
Bachelor’s to Master’s +$3,000-$10,000
Master’s + additional credits +$2,000-$5,000 per tier
National Board Certification +$2,000-$10,000 (varies by state)
Doctorate +$5,000-$15,000

Teacher Benefits Value

Beyond the Base Salary

Benefit Typical Value Annual Worth
Health insurance District paid $8,000-$20,000
Pension contribution 8-15% of salary $5,000-$12,000
Summer off 10-12 weeks Varies
Sick days 10-15/year $2,000-$4,000
Personal days 3-5/year $500-$800
Professional development Paid $500-$2,000
Loan forgiveness (PSLF) After 10 years $50,000+

Total Compensation Estimate

Component Low Average High
Base salary $50,000 $69,500 $95,000
Health benefits $8,000 $15,000 $22,000
Pension value $5,000 $9,000 $14,000
Other benefits $2,000 $4,000 $6,000
Total compensation $65,000 $97,500 $137,000

Teacher Pension Values by State

Best Teacher Pension Systems

State Years to Vest Benefit Formula Example (30 yrs, $70k final)
California (CalSTRS) 5 2% × years × final salary $42,000/year
Illinois (TRS) 10 2.2% × years × final salary $46,200/year
Texas (TRS) 5 2.3% × years × final salary $48,300/year
New York (TRS) 5-10 1.67-2% × years × final salary $35,000-42,000/year
Ohio (STRS) 5 2.2% × years × final salary $46,200/year
Pennsylvania 10 2.5% × years × final salary $52,500/year

Pension vs. Social Security

Factor Teacher Pension Social Security
States where teachers don’t get Social Security 15 states N/A
Average monthly benefit $3,500-4,500 $1,900 (avg retiree)
COLA adjustments Varies (often 0-3%) Based on CPI
Survivor benefits Varies Yes
Portable? Limited Fully portable

Teacher Salaries by School Type

School Type Average Salary vs. Public School
Public school $69,500 Baseline
Charter school $54,000 -22%
Private school $48,000 -31%
Catholic school $45,000 -35%
Online school $55,000 -21%

Private school salaries are lower but may offer other benefits like tuition discounts, smaller classes, or values alignment.

Teacher Salaries by Subject/Level

By Grade Level

Level Average Salary Notes
Elementary (K-5) $67,000 Largest group
Middle school (6-8) $69,000 Often same as elementary
High school (9-12) $72,000 Slightly higher

By Subject (High School)

Subject Average Salary Shortage?
Math $73,000 Yes
Science $73,500 Yes
Special Education $71,000 Severe
English/Language Arts $70,000 No
Social Studies $69,000 No
Foreign Language $69,500 Some
Physical Education $68,000 No
Art/Music $67,000 No

Supplemental Pay Opportunities

Activity Typical Stipend Time Commitment
Department head $2,000-5,000/year 5-10 hrs/week
Coaching (head coach) $3,000-8,000/season 15-25 hrs/week
Coaching (assistant) $1,500-4,000/season 10-15 hrs/week
Club advisor $500-2,000/year Varies
Curriculum development $25-50/hour Summer work
Summer school $30-50/hour 4-6 weeks
Tutoring $40-100/hour Flexible
Teaching extra period $5,000-10,000/year Daily

Total with Supplements

Scenario Base Supplements Total
No extras $65,000 $0 $65,000
One sport + club $65,000 $5,000 $70,000
Department head + coaching $65,000 $10,000 $75,000
Multiple supplements $65,000 $15,000+ $80,000+

Teacher Loan Forgiveness

Federal Programs

Program Forgiveness Amount Requirements
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Remaining balance after 120 payments 10 years, qualifying payments
Teacher Loan Forgiveness $5,000-$17,500 5 years at low-income school

State Programs

State Program Forgiveness
Texas TEXAS Grant forgiveness Up to $20,000
New York Teachers of Tomorrow Up to $24,000
California Teacher shortage areas Up to $20,000
Illinois Teachers Home Program Down payment assistance

Is Teaching Worth It?

Financial Comparison: Teacher vs. Other Bachelor’s Degrees

Career Average Salary Job Security Pension Work-Life
Teacher $69,500 Very high Yes (most) Good
Accountant $78,000 High Some Moderate
Marketing Manager $83,000 Moderate No Variable
Software Developer $127,000 High No Good
Registered Nurse $86,000 Very high Some Variable

Teacher Lifetime Earnings

Scenario Age 25-60 Career Pension (to age 85) Total Lifetime
Low-pay state $1.8 million $900,000 $2.7 million
Average $2.4 million $1.2 million $3.6 million
High-pay state $3.2 million $1.6 million $4.8 million
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