A teacher is a person who helps students to learn new things. Often, in the official documents, teachers are referred to as educators, instructors, tutors or professors. Teachers work at schools and colleges. A modern teacher is obliged to have a high level of education, deep knowledge of the sphere they work in, skillfulness and experience. Teachers should be able to motivate children and develop their potential. The main goal of our article is to describe what a teacher does, how much the salary for a teacher is, what qualifications should one have to become a teacher and so on.
The average teacher salary in the United States is $59,400. This is based on a survey of teachers across the country, and it includes all public school teachers, as well as private school teachers. It doesn’t include special education teachers or preschool teachers, however.
For those who teach in elementary school, the average salary was $58,100. High school teachers made an average of $62,300 per year. Elementary school principals earned an average of $75,900 per year and secondary school principals earned an average of $92,900 per year for their work.
In addition to these averages, there are also some other factors that can affect how much you make as an educator: whether you have a master’s degree in education; whether you are certified by your state’s department of education; what teaching position (for example: kindergarten teacher) or type of institution (for example: charter school) you work at; how long you’ve been teaching; what level of experience (for example: first year teacher) or age group (for example: preschool teacher) you teach; whether or not you have any special certifications (for example: bilingual certification); where in the country
What’s the salary for a teacher
Introduction
When you’re making a career decision, one of the most important factors to consider is salary. After all, you want your job to be both fulfilling and lucrative. And if you’ve ever considered teaching, you may be wondering how much teachers earn. Well here’s the answer: it depends on where in America you live. Teacher salaries vary widely by state and also by degree level. In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about teacher salaries in America so that you can decide whether teaching is right for you. We’ll examine starting teacher salaries, average teacher salaries across each state and degree level, plus bonuses and other benefits.
The national average starting teacher salary is $38,617, while the average teacher salary in America (non-starting) is $58,950. Montana has the lowest starting salary: $30,036, while D.C. has the highest starting salary: $51,359.
The national average starting teacher salary is $38,617, while the average teacher salary in America (non-starting) is $58,950. Montana has the lowest starting salary: $30,036, while D.C. has the highest starting salary: $51,359.
These numbers can be surprising when compared to other professions with similar levels of education; for example, an attorney with a bachelor’s degree makes about 20% more than a teacher with a master’s degree and about 80% more than one with a PhD.
Alaska: $52,502
While the average teacher salary may be $55,000, this is not always the reality. The amount of money a school district or state can afford to give its teachers depends on many factors:
- How many students are enrolled in each school
- How much funding they have from their state government
- What the market rate is for teachers in that region
If you’re looking to make more money as an educator, consider teaching in Alaska. Teachers there earn a whopping $52,502 per year—the highest among all states.
Alabama: $42,950
Alabama is one of the lowest paying states, with a starting salary of $42,950. The average teacher salary in Alabama is $50,980. This number falls below both the national average ($59,890) and the average for all southern states ($52,540).
Arkansas: $39,957
Arkansas is a great example of how the cost of living can impact a state’s teacher salary. While they reported an average teacher salary of $39,957 in 2018, that number varies from county to county. For example, teachers in Pulaski County earned $47,211 annually on average — over $8,000 more than the national average for all teachers.
- However*, if you really want to make sure you can afford your dream home and lifestyle before moving somewhere new (or staying put), it helps to know what the real estate market is like there as well.
Arizona: $42,879
- In Arizona, the starting salary for teachers is $42,879.
- The average salary for teachers in Arizona is $44,093.
- In Arizona, teachers with a master’s degree make an average of $44,582 per year.
California: $44,093
The average starting salary for a teacher in California is $44,093. The average teacher salary in the United States is $56,984. The state with the highest-paid teachers is Alaska ($57,931), and the state with the lowest-paid teachers is Mississippi ($40,722). In Montana and Iowa, teachers are paid $51,818 and $53,141 respectively.
Colorado: $44,580
Average Salary: $58,950
Cost of Living Index: 116.8
Median Salary: $44,580
High Cost City: Denver, Colorado (I know what you’re thinking—of course it’s a high-cost city! But Denver is actually considered to have a low cost of living compared to other cities in Colorado.)
Low Cost City: Yuma County, Colorado (Yuma County claims that its cost of living index is actually lower than the United States average.)
Connecticut: $41,192
The average salary for Connecticut teachers is $41,192. This makes Connecticut the second highest paying state for teachers in the country, with only New York paying more.
In addition to this high salary, Connecticut also offers a one-year bonus of $2,000 to new teachers who teach in an underperforming school or subject area (such as math or science).
Delaware: $50,187
In Delaware, teachers earn an average salary of $50,187. That’s higher than the national average teacher salary of $51,890.
The average teacher salary in Delaware is also higher than the state’s average wage for all occupations by $14,000.
Florida $34,341
In Florida, the average salary for a teacher is $34,341.
Georgia $39,141
The average starting salary for teachers in Georgia is $39,141. The average teacher salary in Georgia is $39,141.
Hawaii$54,813
The average teacher salary in Hawaii is $54,813—the highest of any state. In fact, it’s nearly $10,000 more than the national average. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 60% of teachers nationwide make less than $50,000 a year and 35% make under $40,000; only 5% earn more than $70,000.
In Hawaii, however—where there is a lack of geographically accessible schools (which makes it hard for teachers to transfer) and high turnover rates due to low pay—teachers are still paid well above the national average: its teachers rank ninth out of 50 states in terms of salary ranking by state (and first if you discount Washington D.C.).
Iowa$34.840 : Idaho$33.175 : Illinois$50.749 : Indiana$42.768 : Kansas$39.871 : Kentucky$45.205 : Louisiana$45.868 : Massachusetts$43.547 : Maryland$40.551 : Maine$31.072 : Michigan$36.948 : Minnesota$36.602 : Missouri$40.386 Montana$30 036 : North Carolina$35 912 Nebraska$36 692 New Hampshire New Jersey Nevada New Mexico New York Ohio Oklahoma OregonPennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Vermont Washington Wisconsin West Virginia Wyoming take away
If you’re looking for a career in education, it’s important to know what the average teacher salary is. Here are some of the most recent numbers.
- The national average starting teacher salary is $38,617.
- The national average base salary for teachers is $58,950.
Conclusion
All of the information and data above should help you understand more about teacher salaries, both starting and experienced. This information was pulled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, so it is as accurate as possible with current numbers given by each state’s department of education. The highest paid states for teachers are New York ($75,279), Alaska ($73,840), New Jersey ($70,730), California ($68,906), Massachusetts ($67,598) and Connecticut ($66,794). The lowest paid states are South Dakota at $38,658 annually followed by Mississippi at $40k per year.