There’s no doubt that teachers are an important part of society and have tremendous influence on our children. But is the value and impact teachers have reflected in the amount they’re paid?
How much are good teachers worth?
Oklahoma has been in the news lately over the state’s education system, from the teacher panhandling for school supplies to a report that an entry level QuikTrip employee can make more than a teacher in that state.
The poor teacher salaries even drove the 2016 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year to move to Texas to earn a better wage. Unfortunately, Oklahoma isn’t the only state that struggles to provide teachers with a salary that reflects their hard work and (in many cases) advanced degrees.
Listen to Clark’s take on teaching
Here’s the ranking of states based on mean annual wage for elementary school teachers as of May 2016:
50. Oklahoma – $41,150
49. Mississippi – $42,370
48. Arizona – $42,730
47. South Dakota – $43,180
46. North Carolina – $43,900
45. West Virginia – $45,520
44. Arkansas – $46,950
43. Idaho – $47,140
42. Florida – $47,610
41. Louisiana – $48,100
40. South Carolina – $48,480
39. Montana – $49,010
38. Alabama – $49,120
37. Kansas – $49,140
36. Indiana – $49,250
35. North Dakota – $49,320
34. Tennessee – $50,090
33. Colorado – $51,360
32. Maine – $51,810
31. Kentucky – $52,420
30. Iowa – $53,030
29. Missouri – $53,390
28. Utah – $54,180
27. Nebraska – $54,740
26. Texas – $54,780
Read more: Here’s the average salary for registered nurses in every U.S. state
25. Nevada – $54,810
24. Georgia – $54,890
23. Wisconsin – $55,120
22. New Hampshire – $56,390
21. Vermont – $56,940
20. Hawaii – $57,370
19. New Mexico – $58,090
18. Wyoming – $58,860
17. Ohio – $59,000
16. Illinois – $60,760
15. Delaware – $60,810
14. Washington – $60,950
13. Michigan – $61,260
12. Minnesota – $62,000
11. Pennsylvania – $62,250
10. Oregon – $63,390
9. Maryland – $64,970
8. Rhode Island – $66,160
7. Virginia – $66,700
6. New Jersey – $68,810
5. Alaska – $73,050
4. California – $74,270
3. Massachusetts – $74,470
2. Connecticut – $76,740
1. New York – $77,330
Find other statistics and interactive maps on elementary school teachers at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
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