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
