Education

Salaries: Us Vs. Them

March 01, 2000 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Education Week analyzed U.S. Census Bureau earnings data and confirmed what’s long been suspected: Teachers make less than other college-educated workers—a lot less. From 1994 to 1998, for example, the average salary for teachers with a master’s degree climbed all of $200, after adjusting for inflation. During that time, the average pay for other workers with the same credentials jumped $17,505.

Here is Education Week‘s state-by-state comparison of the salaries of teachers—both public and private—with other workers. The pay of teachers and nonteachers with a bachelor’s degree is compared first, then the salaries of those with a master’s. In each case, we’ve added a ranking, assigning “1" to the state where the salary gap between teachers is the smallest, based on percentage differences.

Bachelor’s degree Master’s Degree
Teachers Others Rank Teachers Others Rank
Alabama $32,104 $44,391 25 $37,041 $65,699 43
Alaska $29,113 $33,850 5 $41,666 $51,850 2
Arizona $28,106 $43,051 43 $37,771 $60,808 35
Arkansas $27,572 $38,942 29 $37,035 $59,433 34
California $30,332 $39,673 19 $37,274 $57,740 25
Colorado $24,475 $41,138 47 $37,579 $59,895 32
Connecticut $33,086 $37,818 3 $42,516 $61,424 15
Delaware $28,929 $42,456 37 $42,489 $55,668 18
D.C n/a $31,485 _ $36,973 $54,026 3
Florida $31,645 $41,801 21 $39,034 $62,403 33
Georgia $31,011 $44,422 33 $38,730 $63,226 38
Hawaii $26,445 $29,903 1 $25,132 $45,137 44
Idaho $27,733 $39,973 35 $35,813 $54.707 35
Illinois $30,519 $45,391 40 $43,258 $64,146 19
Indiana n/a $43,484 _ $45,309 $65,641 16
Iowa $30,296 $39,137 16 $40,306 $65,077 36
Kansas $27,819 $41,745 41 $39,434 $61,667 29
Kentucky $26,568 $45,036 48 $39,324 $73,201 49
Louisiana $26,612 $46,058 49 $32,270 $67,880 50
Maine $27,214 $38,444 30 n/a $53,200 _
Maryland $28,980 $42,326 36 $40,905 $58,045 11
Massachusetts $28,075 $38,438 22 $36,362 $56,587 27
Michigan $36,359 $46,643 15 $51,562 $68,794 5
Minnesota $31,599 $41,657 20 $47,756 $65,360 7
Mississippi $27,606 $40,917 39 $34,810 $58,116 39
Missouri $26,889 $38,471 32 $36,502 $55,221 21
Montana $28,341 $32,105 2 $39,496 $43,417 1
Nebraska $28,174 $39,577 28 $40,197 $57,891 14
Nevada $29,989 $41,731 26 $40,802 $63,387 26
New Hampshire $31,352 $40,747 18 $34,849 $55,400 31
New Jersey $34,567 $42,814 13 $43,375 $62,042 13
New Mexico $25,796 $37,105 34 $33,518 $54,343 37
New York $30,400 $41,851 23 $41,831 $60,887 17
North Carolina $26,149 $40,185 44 $31,860 $58,387 47
North Dakota $26,830 $32,937 9 $36,349 $55,425 23
Ohio $32,410 $44,961 42 $34,710 $62,922 41
Oklahoma $29,886 $44,961 42 $34,710 $62,922 45
Oregon $32,978 $40,399 8 $41,011 $56,613 9
Pennsylvania $35,218 $42,596 6 $45,692 $67,894 20
Rhode Island $31,734 $39,131 11 $40,389 $57,342 12
South Carolina $29,812 $46,123 45 $38,594 $60,590 30
South Dakota $27,091 $35,140 17 $38,267 $58,103 22
Tennessee $29,167 $46,740 46 $37,665 $69,545 48
Texas $32,390 $47,804 38 $41,420 $75,136 46
Utah $29,464 $41,283 27 $36,203 $61,090 40
Vermont $30,409 $34,891 4 $37,490 $50,602 6
Virginia $30,660 $43,644 31 $39,048 $67,442 42
Washington $33,172 $40,839 10 $40,050 $56,116 10
West Virginia $30,994 $39,131 14 $37,328 $58,261 28
Wisconsin $34,839 $43,141 12 $48,057 $65,881 8
Wyoming $29,109 $35,384 7 $36,910 $48,596 4
U.S. $30,074 $43,075 _ $40,703 $63,483 _

Data in the table are averages from annual surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau 1992-99. All figures have been adjusted using a cost of living index developed by the American Federation of Teachers.

Education Week worked on this analysis with Martha Scobee of the University of Louisville’s Kentucky Data Center.

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 13, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read