MD Teacher Pay Among Highest In The U.S. In 2024: Report

MARYLAND ? Teachers in Maryland have a higher salary than those in most other states, according to the National Education Association?s 2024 report on ?Educator Pay in America.?

In Maryland, the average teacher salary is $79,420, higher than the national average of $69,544, according to the report. As a result, Maryland ranked 8th in the nation for educator pay.

This is more than the state?s minimum living wage of $59,562, which is the ?income needed for a family of one adult and one child to have a modest but adequate standard of living in the most affordable metro area,? the report said.

California teachers earn the most in the country, taking home, on average, $95,160 each year.

The average teacher's starting salary in Maryland is $51,548, ranking at No. 5 in the United States. The national average starting teacher salary is $44,530.

The teacher pay gap in Maryland compared to other college-educated professionals with similar experience is 74 cents, according to the report.

Across the board, despite record-level increases in some states, teacher pay hasn?t kept up with inflation, the NEA said. Teachers are making 5 percent less than they did 10 years ago.

?Low pay limits the ability to attract and retain quality educators in the profession amid a looming educator shortage and sagging educator morale due chiefly to low pay and poor working conditions,? the association said.