Florida Has 2nd-Lowest Salary For Teachers, Study Shows

Having a great teacher in school can change the trajectory of a young student’s life. Teachers are paid and treated better in some states than others, though, and a recently released report ranked the 50 best and worst states for the profession.

The report from personal finance site WalletHub ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 23 key indicators of “teacher-friendliness,” which included such things as the income growth potential, pupil-teacher ratio and teacher safety.

Each of these 23 key indicators was then listed with its corresponding weight and graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the maximum teacher experience. The weighted scores were subsequently combined to give each state an individual score.

Florida ranks 33rd overall in the country for the education profession. The state also finished 33rd in opportunity & competition and 32nd in academic & work environment.

Florida had the second-lowest annual salary, adjusted for cost of living, among teachers in the nation, behind New Hampshire, according to WalletHub.

The national average teacher salary is $59,660, according to the most recent version of the National Education Association.

"Over the past decade, the average classroom teacher salary has increased 15.2% but after adjusting for inflation, the average salary has actually decreased by $1,823 or 3.0%," the foundation said in a statement.

Michigan finished first in the country for the average highest-annual teacher salary, but Massachusetts earned the no. 1 spot for best school system, according to the report.

North Dakota took home the award for best state for teachers in the nation, with Arizona coming in dead last in the rankings.

Here are the top 10 overall states:

1. North Dakota
2. New Jersey
3. Pennsylvania
4. Wyoming
5. Connecticut
6. Illinois
7. Minnesota
8. Massachusetts
9. Utah
10. New York

On the other end of the teaching experience spectrum, Arizona was joined by New Hampshire, Hawaii, Louisiana, and West Virginia as the five worst states for teachers.

These are the bottom 10 states for teachers, according to WalletHub:

• 42. Maine
• 43. District of Columbia
• 44. South Carolina
• 45. Oklahoma
• 46. New Mexico
• 47. West Virginia
• 48. Louisiana
• 49. Hawaii
• 50. New Hampshire
• 51. Arizona

— By Gus Saltonstall