The top-paying cities for teachers

The top-paying cities for teachers Whether you’re a teacher or not, you’ve likely heard some variation on the theme of â€Å"teachers are underpaid.† Given what all that they do and the power that they hold over the education of children, teens, and adults alike, this is a very true statement- especially when you factor in all of the unpaid hours of prep and care that go into a teaching career outside of the classroom. But while teachers will always be comparatively underpaid in a world where Kardashians get multi-million-dollar endorsement deals, the good news is that if you are a teacher, you can seek out regions and cities with higher-paying opportunities. Teacher salaries can vary pretty widely across states- according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest-paid 10 percent of high school teachers earn more than $92,920, while the lowest-paid 10 percent of high school teachers earn $38,180. For reference, the national median annual salary for secondary teachers is $58,030. And whil e pay isn’t necessarily the only consideration as you plan (or advance) your career as an educator, having this information at your disposal can help you make the best career decision for yourself- or at least help set expectations.Let’s look at teacher pay across the country, by region.The NortheastIncludes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and VermontIn terms of teacher salaries, the Northeast is the top region in the entire country. This region features some of the highest teacher salaries in the nation, holding four of the top ten national cities in WalletHub’s most recent annual â€Å"Best Worst States for Teachers† rankings. However, these states also have a higher cost of living- particularly in the highest paying states: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.Here are the median annual teacher salaries by state in the Northeast, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics :New York: $81,410Connecticut: $76,260New Jersey: $75,250Massachusetts: $74,040Rhode Island: $65,490Pennsylvania: $64,320New Hampshire: $57,570Vermont: $56,670Maine: $52,410According to WalletHub, these states also rank high in other quality of life categories for teachers, such as â€Å"opportunity and competition† for teaching jobs, as well as academics and work environment. New York, the first-place state for teachers overall, is also ranked the best in terms of opportunity, and is in the top ten for academics and work environment.For secondary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Nassau County, New York – $99,090Kingston, New York – $86,470Danbury, Connecticut – $83,890New York City – $83,660Leominster-Gardiner, Massachusetts – $82.630For elementary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Nassau County, New York – $106,970Kingston, New York – $86,0 80Waterbury, Connecticut – $82,080Danbury, Connecticut – $81,450Brockton, Massachusetts – $79,640All of these cities have annual teacher salaries that are well above the national median- and in some parts of New York (particularly New York City and Long Island), nearly double the national median.The SouthIncludes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West VirginiaIf you’re looking at living and teaching in the South, there’s some good news and some less-great news. The good news is that national teaching shortages are leaving open many teaching opportunities in the region. The less-great news is that as a region, the South features some of the lowest teacher salaries in the nation- well below the national median.Here are the median annual teacher salaries by state in the South, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:Maryland – $63,770Virginia – $62,940Washington, D.C. – $61,610Delaware – $58,260Georgia – $55.640Texas – $55.030Kentucky – $53,860South Carolina – $50,470Alabama – $49,870Tennessee – $49.770Florida – $49,550Arkansas – $48,870Louisiana – $48,560West Virginia – $44,480North Carolina – $44,410Mississippi – $42,860Oklahoma – $40,780On the WalletHub ranking of best states for teachers, two southern states make the top 20: Kentucky and Texas. Both of these states are slightly below the national median, salary-wise, but get high marks for opportunity and low competition for teaching jobs.For secondary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Washington D.C./Arlington/Alexandria, Virginia – $73,310Silver Spring/Frederick, Maryland – $72,130Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – $65,450Charlottesville, Virginia â₠¬â€œ $65,030Jackson, Mississippi – $62,760For elementary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Washington D.C./Arlington/Alexandria, Virginia – $75,590Silver Spring/Frederick, Maryland – $65,940Houston, Texas – $58,510Athens, Georgia – $58,360Richmond, Virginia – $58,170In the South, the key to finding the best teacher salaries seems to be in densely populated areas, like the northern Virginia/Washington D.C. area, and large cities like Houston.The MidwestIncludes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and WisconsinSecond only to the Northeast, the Midwest has a number of states featured prominently in WalletHub’s survey, with Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa making the top 20. The Midwest also ranks well on the teacher opportunity scale, with Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa in that top 20 as well.Here are the median annual teacher salaries by state in the Midwest, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:Illinois – $66,470Michigan – $60,790Minnesota – $60,750Ohio – $58,700Wisconsin – $55,800Iowa – $54,290Nebraska – $54,240Indiana – $50,360North Dakota – $47,910Kansas – $47,900Missouri – $44,710South Dakota – $42,270As you can see, about a third of the states in this region match the national median salary for teachers.For secondary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Mankato, Minnesota – $84,550Rockford, Illinois – $79,090Chicago, Illinois – $75,750Milwaukee, Wisconsin – $65,740Detroit, Michigan – $65,320For elementary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Rockford, Illinois – $77,160Detroit, Michigan – $67,220Elgin, Illinois – $66,340F lint, Michigan – $65,870Grand Rapids, Michigan – $64,980Cleveland, Ohio – $64,480The areas with the highest salaries in the Midwest are not necessarily the big cities themselves, but rather large suburban districts just outside the big cities.The WestIncludes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and WyomingAnd last but certainly not least, we have the Western parts of the United States. The region is highly diverse geographically and population-wise, and their teaching career stats are no different.Here are the median annual teacher salaries by state in the Midwest, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:Alaska – $79,400California – $75,060Washington – $64,850Oregon – $63,730Wyoming – $58,480Hawaii – $57,900Utah – $56,070Nevada – $55,450New Mexico – $52,150Colorado – $50,790Montana – $49,930Arizona – $46,070 Idaho – $45,500That’s a pretty broad range from Alaska to Idaho, but outside of the Northeast, the West has the most states at or above the national median salary for teachers. On the WalletHub survey of teachers’ quality of life in different states, four of these western states are ranked in the top 20 best states for teachers: Wyoming, Oregon, Utah, and California. However, in the list of top states for teacher opportunities and low competition for teaching jobs, that number grows to include six states in the top 20: Oregon, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, and Alaska.For secondary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Fairbanks, Alaska – $92,110Anchorage, Alaska – $89,570Anaheim, California – $87,280Yuba City, California – $85,820Fresno, California – $81,130For elementary school teachers in this region, here are the highest-paid metropolitan areas:Fairbanks, Alaska – $110,420Ri verside, California – $81,320Modesto, California – $80,810Anaheim, California – $79,840Los Angeles/Long Beach, California – $75,800As you can see, the highest teacher salaries can be found Alaska’s largest cities. But while Alaska is tops on the salary scale, it ranks 48th on WalletHub’s survey of academics and work environment- so if you’re thinking about heading to a classroom way up north, it’s important to consider the teacher quality of life issues as well.Whether you’re a seasoned teacher looking for a change of scenery, or a future teacher trying out where to stake your career, we’re hoping that this salary info helps you make the most informed decision for your teaching career.