Map Shows Best States to Be a Teacher

As the 2024 presidential election draws closer, education policy is once again in the spotlight.

With this in mind, Newsweek has mapped the best states for teachers in 2024, based on a recent study conducted by WalletHub.

The report sought to determine the “teacher-friendliest” states by comparing them across two dimensions: “opportunity and competition” and “academic and work environment.”

To achieve this, WalletHub gathered data on several metrics, including average salaries, income growth potential, pensions, school enrollment growth and school system quality.

According to the study, these are the 10 best states for teachers in 2024:

1. New York
2. Washington
3. Virginia
4. Utah
5. Maryland
6. Illinois
7. Georgia
8. Florida
9. California
10. Indiana

New York topped the list, with the report highlighting that the state had the highest average annual salary, at $82,571, for public school teachers after adjusting for the cost of living.

The study recognized New York for having the strongest tenure protections in the country and the highest amount of funding per public school student at $31,839. New York also had a 4.3 percent teacher turnover rate, the lowest in the U.S.

WalletHub’s study found that Washington, which ranked second, had experienced the best change in teacher salaries over the past decade—an increase of about 68 percent. Washington had the second-highest average salary at $75,573 annually and the third-highest average starting salary at $48,433.

Virginia took third place, despite ranking 13th in terms of average starting salaries and 21st for general average salaries. The report said teachers in Virginia had the highest income growth potential in the country.

Virginia was also projected to have the 12th-highest number of teachers per 1,000 students by 2030.

WalletHub said the state offered tenure to teachers after three years and had the ninth-best school system nationally.

At the other end of the spectrum are the 10 worst states for teachers, according to WalletHub’s research:

1. Maine
2. Hawaii
3. New Hampshire
4. Nevada
5. Tennessee
6. South Dakota
7. Alaska
8. Oklahoma
9. Louisiana
10. Rhode Island

Newsweek previously mapped states with the best education systems.

According to a separate WalletHub report, Massachusetts had the best school system in the country, followed by Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and Wisconsin. Conversely, New Mexico was the state with the worst public-school ranking, followed by Oklahoma, Arizona, Alaska and Louisiana.

Newsweek has also mapped states with the best universities and the best community colleges.

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