Teachers salary statistics are plentiful on the internet. The average salary for a teacher varies from state to state and is also determined by the years of experience the teacher has, his or her degree, and the grade being taught. There is quite a wide range of teaching salaries based on these variables.
Census data show that 76 percent of public school teachers are female, 44 percent are under age 40, and 52 percent have a master’s or higher degree. In public schools, there are five students for every one teacher on average. Class sizes average about 20 students per classroom. .
According to the National Center for Education Studies there are currently 31,147,000 teachers in U.S. public schools in 2011. The average teaching salary for public school teachers is $49,600. That does not include teachers who are on a supplemental contract, merit or bonus pay, or income earned in teaching jobs outside the school system or in the summer. Private schools employ 3,688,000 teachers who earn an average of $39,600. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says this is right in line with other professions that require the same level of education. The bureau also says that teaching salaries are less stagnant than other careers with more opportunities for advancement and pay increases over time.
Salaries for teachers vary from according to the grade or area they teach. Payscale.com identifies the national median teaching salary for each type of teacher:
High School Teacher – $43,492
Elementary School Teacher – $40,090
Middle School Teacher – $41,886
Special Education, Preschool, Kindergarten, or Elementary School – $40,938
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School – $43,995
Secondary School Teacher – $41,541
Special Education Teacher, Middle School – $42,054
Additional variances in teachers salaries are attributed to location, with starting salaries at a low of $24,872 North Dakota to first-time teachers earning $39,259 in Connecticut. Once a teacher is experienced, the average salary increases. California teachers are the highest paid at $59,825 per year, as compared to the lowest teaching salary of $34,709 in South Dakota. Here is a table of starting and average teachers salaries by state:
State Starting Salary – Average Salary
Alabama $31,368 – $40,347
Alaska $38,657 – $53,553
Arizona $30,404 – $44,672
Arkansas $28,784 – $42,768
California $35,760 – $59,825
Colorado $35,086 – $44,439
Connecticut $39,259 – $59,304
Delaware $35,854 – $54,264
Florida $33,427 – $43,302
Georgia $34,442 – $48,300
Hawaii $35,816 – $49,292
Idaho $27,500 – $41,150
Illinois $37,500 – $58,686
Indiana $30,844 – $47,255
Iowa $27,284 – $41,083
Kansas $27,840 – $41,467
Kentucky $30,619 – $42,592
Louisiana $31,298 – $40,029
Maine $26,643 – $40,737
Maryland $37,125 – $54,333
Massachusetts $35,421 – $56,369
Michigan $35,557 – $54,739
Minnesota $31,532 – $48,489
Mississippi $28,200 – $40,576
Missouri $29,281 – $40,462
Montana $25,318 – $39,832
Nebraska $29,303 – $40,382
Nevada $27,957 – $44,426
New Hampshire $28,279 – $45,263
New Jersey $38,408 – $58,156
New Mexico $33,730 – $41,637
New York $37,321 – $57,354
North Carolina $27,944 – $43,922
North Dakota $24,872- $37,764
Ohio $33,671 – $50,314
Oklahoma $29,174 – $38,772
Oregon $33,699 – $50,044
Pennsylvania $34,976 – $54,027
Rhode Island $33,815 – $54,730
South Carolina $28,568 – $43,011
South Dakota $26,111 -$34,709
Tennessee $32,369 – $42,537
Texas $33,775 – $41,744
Utah $26,521 – $40,007
Vermont $26,461 – $46,622
Virginia $33,200 – $43,823
Washington $30,974 – $46,326
West Virginia $26,704 – $38,284
Wisconsin $25,222 – $46,390
Wyoming $31,481 – $43,255
