Daily Digit: Teachers made less last year than they did in 2010

Daily Digit is the story behind the numbers that make the world turn. With a new school year on the horizon, we’re looking at how public school teachers are paid in the U.S. According to the National Education Association, public school teachers made an average of $58,950 during the 2017-18 academic year, which is about $2,700 less than they earned in 2010 when adjusted for inflation. No other public professional group has seen wages decrease to this degree. As state and local taxes cover most public school funding, however, where you live makes a huge difference in how much your teachers get paid. On the high end is New York state, where teachers make an average of $79,638 annually; on the low end there’s South Dakota, where they make $42,668. The cost of living also plays a major role in determining teacher salaries.