Teacher Salary by State, Adjusted for Cost of Living
Published October 2026 · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Headline teacher salaries make high-cost states look generous. Adjusting for prices shows where a teaching salary goes furthest, for both elementary and high school teachers.
High school: California pays high school teachers the most both before and after adjusting for prices: $105,880 on paper, worth $95,629 at national-average prices.
Elementary School Teachers: pay by state after cost of living
- Washington pays elementary school teachers the most both before and after adjusting for prices: $97,970 on paper, worth $91,550 at national-average prices.
- Biggest climbers once prices are counted: Iowa (from 40th to 28th); Ohio (from 17th to 7th); New Mexico (from 18th to 8th).
- Biggest drops: Hawaii (from 21st to 39th); Florida (from 38th to 50th); Texas (from 32nd to 41st).
- The gap between the best- and worst-paying state is $45,670 before adjusting and $34,228 after, so prices narrow the gap by $11,442.
- Lowest adjusted pay: North Carolina, at $57,322 ($54,070 before adjusting). The U.S. average is $72,650.
| State | Average salary | Price level | Adjusted salary | Adjusted rank (change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $97,970 | 107.0 | $91,550 | 1st (no change) |
| New York | $93,400 | 107.9 | $86,545 | 2nd (+2) |
| California | $95,670 | 110.7 | $86,407 | 3rd (-1) |
| District of Columbia | $93,910 | 109.9 | $85,450 | 4th (-1) |
| Massachusetts | $88,720 | 105.8 | $83,890 | 5th (no change) |
| Connecticut | $83,380 | 103.6 | $80,475 | 6th (no change) |
| Ohio | $72,740 | 92.8 | $78,406 | 7th (+10) |
| New Mexico | $72,170 | 92.2 | $78,265 | 8th (+10) |
| Rhode Island | $79,660 | 102.3 | $77,884 | 9th (no change) |
| Pennsylvania | $75,780 | 97.6 | $77,666 | 10th (+1) |
| Alaska | $78,580 | 102.4 | $76,769 | 11th (-1) |
| Maryland | $80,090 | 105.0 | $76,306 | 12th (-4) |
| Minnesota | $74,790 | 98.6 | $75,836 | 13th (-1) |
| New Jersey | $82,120 | 108.8 | $75,474 | 14th (-7) |
| Illinois | $74,630 | 100.0 | $74,661 | 15th (-2) |
| Utah | $73,630 | 98.9 | $74,476 | 16th (-1) |
| Georgia | $70,720 | 96.3 | $73,443 | 17th (+3) |
| Delaware | $73,230 | 99.8 | $73,371 | 18th (-2) |
| Oregon | $74,370 | 103.4 | $71,952 | 19th (-5) |
| Michigan | $69,000 | 96.2 | $71,713 | 20th (+4) |
| Virginia | $71,540 | 101.1 | $70,759 | 21st (-2) |
| Nebraska | $63,730 | 90.1 | $70,730 | 22nd (+7) |
| Wisconsin | $65,960 | 94.1 | $70,099 | 23rd (+3) |
| Vermont | $68,410 | 98.0 | $69,836 | 24th (+1) |
| Wyoming | $63,630 | 92.7 | $68,647 | 25th (+5) |
| Colorado | $70,110 | 103.1 | $68,034 | 26th (-4) |
| Maine | $65,930 | 97.0 | $67,934 | 27th (no change) |
| Iowa | $59,110 | 87.8 | $67,353 | 28th (+12) |
| New Hampshire | $69,930 | 104.2 | $67,134 | 29th (-6) |
| Alabama | $59,590 | 88.8 | $67,088 | 30th (+7) |
| North Dakota | $59,140 | 89.0 | $66,480 | 31st (+8) |
| Kentucky | $59,870 | 90.2 | $66,405 | 32nd (+3) |
| South Carolina | $62,210 | 93.7 | $66,358 | 33rd (-2) |
| Louisiana | $58,170 | 88.2 | $65,947 | 34th (+8) |
| Nevada | $65,840 | 100.0 | $65,854 | 35th (-7) |
| Indiana | $60,850 | 93.3 | $65,199 | 36th (-2) |
| Tennessee | $59,850 | 91.9 | $65,146 | 37th (-1) |
| Arkansas | $56,210 | 86.9 | $64,656 | 38th (+8) |
| Hawaii | $70,670 | 110.0 | $64,274 | 39th (-18) |
| Idaho | $60,940 | 95.5 | $63,816 | 40th (-7) |
| Texas | $61,890 | 97.1 | $63,767 | 41st (-9) |
| Kansas | $56,730 | 90.1 | $62,986 | 42nd (+2) |
| Missouri | $56,730 | 90.8 | $62,466 | 43rd (+2) |
| Montana | $58,150 | 94.6 | $61,440 | 44th (-1) |
| West Virginia | $54,890 | 89.5 | $61,332 | 45th (+2) |
| Mississippi | $52,300 | 87.0 | $60,147 | 46th (+5) |
| Oklahoma | $52,320 | 87.8 | $59,561 | 47th (+3) |
| South Dakota | $52,680 | 88.6 | $59,468 | 48th (+1) |
| Arizona | $58,920 | 100.7 | $58,524 | 49th (-8) |
| Florida | $59,530 | 103.4 | $57,565 | 50th (-12) |
| North Carolina | $54,070 | 94.3 | $57,322 | 51st (-3) |
All 51 states with published BLS figures, ranked by adjusted salary. Price level is the BEA Regional Price Parity (2024, U.S. = 100). Rank change compares the adjusted rank with the rank by average salary. See the full Elementary School Teachers salary page.
Secondary School Teachers: pay by state after cost of living
- California pays high school teachers the most both before and after adjusting for prices: $105,880 on paper, worth $95,629 at national-average prices.
- Biggest climbers once prices are counted: Iowa (from 39th to 28th); Nebraska (from 33rd to 23rd); Louisiana (from 43rd to 34th).
- Biggest drops: Hawaii (from 20th to 41st); New Hampshire (from 23rd to 35th); Nevada (from 26th to 38th).
- The gap between the best- and worst-paying state is $52,190 before adjusting and $36,515 after, so prices narrow the gap by $15,675.
- Lowest adjusted pay: North Carolina, at $59,114 ($55,760 before adjusting). The U.S. average is $76,320.
| State | Average salary | Price level | Adjusted salary | Adjusted rank (change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $105,880 | 110.7 | $95,629 | 1st (no change) |
| Washington | $99,350 | 107.0 | $92,839 | 2nd (no change) |
| New York | $97,220 | 107.9 | $90,084 | 3rd (no change) |
| Illinois | $89,320 | 100.0 | $89,358 | 4th (+1) |
| Massachusetts | $90,270 | 105.8 | $85,356 | 5th (-1) |
| Ohio | $78,110 | 92.8 | $84,194 | 6th (+8) |
| Rhode Island | $84,120 | 102.3 | $82,245 | 7th (+2) |
| Connecticut | $84,460 | 103.6 | $81,517 | 8th (no change) |
| Minnesota | $80,020 | 98.6 | $81,139 | 9th (+2) |
| Alaska | $82,460 | 102.4 | $80,560 | 10th (no change) |
| District of Columbia | $88,460 | 109.9 | $80,491 | 11th (-5) |
| New Jersey | $87,100 | 108.8 | $80,051 | 12th (-5) |
| Pennsylvania | $77,650 | 97.6 | $79,582 | 13th (+2) |
| New Mexico | $72,920 | 92.2 | $79,079 | 14th (+7) |
| Oregon | $79,050 | 103.4 | $76,480 | 15th (-2) |
| Utah | $75,460 | 98.9 | $76,327 | 16th (no change) |
| Maryland | $79,820 | 105.0 | $76,049 | 17th (-5) |
| Georgia | $72,000 | 96.3 | $74,772 | 18th (+6) |
| Delaware | $74,240 | 99.8 | $74,383 | 19th (-1) |
| Virginia | $75,060 | 101.1 | $74,240 | 20th (-3) |
| Michigan | $71,200 | 96.2 | $73,999 | 21st (+4) |
| Vermont | $72,350 | 98.0 | $73,858 | 22nd (no change) |
| Nebraska | $65,520 | 90.1 | $72,717 | 23rd (+10) |
| Indiana | $67,640 | 93.3 | $72,475 | 24th (+3) |
| Wyoming | $66,020 | 92.7 | $71,226 | 25th (+6) |
| Colorado | $73,330 | 103.1 | $71,158 | 26th (-7) |
| Wisconsin | $66,880 | 94.1 | $71,077 | 27th (+1) |
| Iowa | $61,860 | 87.8 | $70,486 | 28th (+11) |
| Kentucky | $63,450 | 90.2 | $70,376 | 29th (+7) |
| Alabama | $62,280 | 88.8 | $70,117 | 30th (+8) |
| South Carolina | $65,340 | 93.7 | $69,697 | 31st (+3) |
| Idaho | $66,470 | 95.5 | $69,606 | 32nd (-2) |
| North Dakota | $61,830 | 89.0 | $69,504 | 33rd (+7) |
| Louisiana | $61,170 | 88.2 | $69,348 | 34th (+9) |
| New Hampshire | $72,040 | 104.2 | $69,160 | 35th (-12) |
| Maine | $66,820 | 97.0 | $68,851 | 36th (-7) |
| Arkansas | $59,710 | 86.9 | $68,682 | 37th (+8) |
| Nevada | $68,570 | 100.0 | $68,584 | 38th (-12) |
| Tennessee | $62,950 | 91.9 | $68,521 | 39th (-2) |
| Texas | $65,740 | 97.1 | $67,733 | 40th (-8) |
| Hawaii | $73,230 | 110.0 | $66,602 | 41st (-21) |
| Missouri | $60,310 | 90.8 | $66,408 | 42nd (+2) |
| Kansas | $58,930 | 90.1 | $65,428 | 43rd (+3) |
| Montana | $61,550 | 94.6 | $65,032 | 44th (-2) |
| Arizona | $64,440 | 100.7 | $64,007 | 45th (-10) |
| West Virginia | $56,630 | 89.5 | $63,276 | 46th (+1) |
| Oklahoma | $54,950 | 87.8 | $62,555 | 47th (+2) |
| Mississippi | $53,690 | 87.0 | $61,746 | 48th (+3) |
| South Dakota | $53,960 | 88.6 | $60,913 | 49th (+1) |
| Florida | $61,570 | 103.4 | $59,537 | 50th (-9) |
| North Carolina | $55,760 | 94.3 | $59,114 | 51st (-3) |
All 51 states with published BLS figures, ranked by adjusted salary. Price level is the BEA Regional Price Parity (2024, U.S. = 100). Rank change compares the adjusted rank with the rank by average salary. See the full Secondary School Teachers salary page.
Methodology
Wages: mean annual wages by state from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Only states for which BLS publishes a figure are included.
Prices: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024 (all items), the most recent year available. An RPP of 110 means prices in that state are 10% above the national average.
Adjusted salary = average salary ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). It shows what the average salary would buy at national-average prices.
Limitations: RPPs are statewide averages, so prices in a large city can be much higher than the state figure. The adjustment does not account for state and local taxes. Wages are employer-reported means and exclude overtime, benefits and self-employed workers. Wage and price data come from consecutive years (May 2025 and 2024).
Cite this study
USA Salaries, "Teacher Salary by State, Adjusted for Cost of Living," based on BLS OEWS May 2025 and BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. https://usasalaries.com/research/teacher-salary-by-state-cost-of-living/
Journalists and researchers are welcome to use these figures with a link to this page. Questions: contact us.