Teacher pay varies widely across the 50 US states and Washington, DC.

California pays teachers the most, providing them with an average salary of $103,552 in 2024-2025.

Teachers in California make nearly double what teachers in Mississippi make on average.

Many people consider public school teachers to have one of the most important jobs.

But while teaching is the most common public-sector job, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many educators still struggle to make ends meet. A 2025 Gallup poll found that 21% of polled K-12 educators said they were "finding it difficult to get by on their present income," while 52% reported they were just getting by rather than living comfortably.

A third of K-12 teachers also reported having non-teaching-related jobs, "such as ride-sharing, food service or running a side business," the poll found.

For many teachers, their salaries simply aren't enough, and, due to differences in affordability, housing prices, and tax structures, teacher salaries — and how far they go — vary widely across the country.

In April, the National Education Association released its Rankings of the States 2025 and Estimates of School Statistics 2026 report, which included data such as the number of school districts, student enrollment and attendance, and education expenditures in every state and Washington, DC.

The report also listed the average salaries of public school teachers in 2024-2025, as well as the change in pay from the previous year. For a few states — Connecticut, Montana, and Rhode Island — and Washington, DC, the NEA relied on salary estimates.

Per the report, the state where teachers received the largest average year-over-year raise was Nevada. Though its average salary in 2024-2025 ranked 17th in the country, it grew by roughly $8,000, or about 11.8%, from 2023-24. By contrast, teachers in Oklahoma received a 1% average raise, about $600.

See the average public school teacher salary in every state and Washington, DC.

We also listed how much the average salary increased year-over-year and how the state's average salary ranked among all other states and Washington, DC, with No. 1 being the highest salary and 51 the lowest.

ALABAMA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $62,985

Change from 2023-2024: 1.73% increase

Rank: 35

ALASKA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $81,450

Change from 2023-2024: 4.1% increase

Rank: 11

ARIZONA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $64,291

Change from 2023-2024: 2.5% increase

Rank: 31

ARKANSAS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $59,193

Change from 2023-2024: 1.5% increase

Rank: 45

CALIFORNIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $103,552

Change from 2023-2024: 2.4% increase

Rank: 1

COLORADO

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $72,781

Change from 2023-2024: 6% increase

Rank: 19

CONNECTICUT

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $89,593

Change from 2023-2024: 3.6% increase

Rank: 6

DELAWARE

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $76,570

Change from 2023-2024: 7.6% increase

Rank: 14

FLORIDA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $56,663

Change from 2023-2024: 3.3% increase

Rank: 50

GEORGIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $71,524

Change from 2023-2024: 5.7% increase

Rank: 21

HAWAII

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $75,860

Change from 2023-2024: 2.2% increase

Rank: 16

IDAHO

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $62,786

Change from 2023-2024: 2.1% increase

Rank: 36

ILLINOIS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $78,495

Change from 2023-2024: 3.3% increase

Rank: 13

INDIANA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $61,661

Change from 2023-2024: 5.2% increase

Rank: 38

IOWA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $65,312

Change from 2023-2024: 4.7% increase

Rank: 30

KANSAS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $61,470

Change from 2023-2024: 5.5% increase

Rank: 39

KENTUCKY

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $60,594

Change from 2023-2024: 3.9% increase

Rank: 42

LOUISIANA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $56,785

Change from 2023-2024: 1.6% increase

Rank: 49

MAINE

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $65,621

Change from 2023-2024: 4.9% increase

Rank: 29

MARYLAND

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $87,409

Change from 2023-2024: 3.6% increase

Rank: 7

MASSACHUSETTS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $93,554

Change from 2023-2024: 2.8% increase

Rank: 5

MICHIGAN

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $71,023

Change from 2023-2024: 2.8% increase

Rank: 22

MINNESOTA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $76,234

Change from 2023-2024: 5.3% increase

Rank: 15

MISSISSIPPI

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $54,975

Change from 2023-2024: 2.4% increase

Rank: 51

MISSOURI

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $57,366

Change from 2023-2024: 4% increase

Rank: 48

MONTANA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $59,305

Change from 2023-2024: 3% increase

Rank: 44

NEBRASKA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $63,326

Change from 2023-2024: 5.1% increase

Rank: 34

NEVADA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $74,812

Change from 2023-2024: 11.8% increase

Rank: 17

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $69,432

Change from 2023-2024: 3.4% increase

Rank: 25

NEW JERSEY

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $84,974

Change from 2023-2024: 2.5% increase

Rank: 9

NEW MEXICO

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $69,736

Change from 2023-2024: 1.9% increase

Rank: 24

NEW YORK

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $98,655

Change from 2023-2024: 3.2% increase

Rank: 2

NORTH CAROLINA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $60,323

Change from 2023-2024: 3.5% increase

Rank: 43

NORTH DAKOTA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $60,704

Change from 2023-2024: 3.6% increase

Rank: 41

OHIO

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $70,586

Change from 2023-2024: 3.4% increase

Rank: 23

OKLAHOMA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $61,931

Change from 2023-2024: 1% increase

Rank: 37

OREGON

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $81,657

Change from 2023-2024: 5.9% increase

Rank: 10

PENNSYLVANIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $79,078

Change from 2023-2024: 2.8% increase

Rank: 12

RHODE ISLAND

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $85,772

Change from 2023-2024: 4.4% increase

Rank: 8

SOUTH CAROLINA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $64,050

Change from 2023-2024: 5.4% increase

Rank: 32

SOUTH DAKOTA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $58,486

Change from 2023-2024: 3.8% increase

Rank: 46

TENNESSEE

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $61,222

Change from 2023-2024: 4.5% increase

Rank: 40

TEXAS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $63,749

Change from 2023-2024: 2.1% increase

Rank: 33

UTAH

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $72,882

Change from 2023-2024: 5.4% increase

Rank: 18

VERMONT

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $71,871

Change from 2023-2024: 3.3% increase

Rank: 20

VIRGINIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $69,254

Change from 2023-2024: 4.4% increase

Rank: 26

WASHINGTON

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $96,589

Change from 2023-2024: 5.3% increase

Rank: 3

WASHINGTON, DC

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $95,077

Change from 2023-2024: 9.7% increase

Rank: 4

WEST VIRGINIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $58,099

Change from 2023-2024: 5.1% increase

Rank: 47

WISCONSIN

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $67,794

Change from 2023-2024: 3.1% increase

Rank: 27

WYOMING

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $65,668

Change from 2023-2024: 3.1% increase

Rank: 28

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