Here’s How Much Teachers Make in Every State
The people who teach our children and have them in their charge every school day have a huge responsibility. That's standard across the United States. But is the pay for teachers standard?
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The average pay for a preschool teacher in the United States is $36,460. For a kindergarten teacher, the salary is higher at $64,490 a year, with a high school teacher earning an average of $69,530. Pay for elementary and middle school teachers falls somewhere between those two at $67,080 and $66,880, respectively.
But do teachers in your state earn about the average? There's a wide spread in teacher pay across the nation, and you might be surprised where your children's teachers fall on the scale.
To find out what teachers can expect to earn in every state and the District of Columbia, GOBankingRates used May 2021 salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) across all five education levels.
Keep reading to find out the average annual salary for a teacher in your state.
How Much Teachers Make in Alabama
Preschool teacher: $25,180
Kindergarten teacher: $49,100
Elementary school teacher: $53,110
Middle school teacher: $54,870
High school teacher: $54,630
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How Much Teachers Make in Alaska
Preschool teacher: $38,280
Kindergarten teacher: $68,830
Elementary school teacher: $71,790
Middle school teacher: $75,290
High school teacher: $73,730
How Much Teachers Make in Arizona
Preschool teacher: $32,930
Kindergarten teacher: $50,830
Elementary school teacher: $51,150
Middle school teacher: $50,580
High school teacher: $55,180
How Much Teachers Make in Arkansas
Preschool teacher: $32,130
Kindergarten teacher: $50,650
Elementary school teacher: $50,250
Middle school teacher: $52,650
High school teacher: $53,570
How Much Teachers Make in California
Preschool teacher: $42,210
Kindergarten teacher: $85,760
Elementary school teacher: $86,470
Middle school teacher: $92,350
High school teacher: $94,600
How Much Teachers Make in Colorado
Preschool teacher: $37,750
Kindergarten teacher: $57,870
Elementary school teacher: $59,270
Middle school teacher: $59,580
High school teacher: $61,970
How Much Teachers Make in Connecticut
Preschool teacher: $36,980
Kindergarten teacher: $80,410
Elementary school teacher: $82,140
Middle school teacher: $82,790
High school teacher: $79,530
How Much Teachers Make in Delaware
Preschool teacher: $29,150
Kindergarten teacher: $57,270
Elementary school teacher: $64,410
Middle school teacher: $66,780
High school teacher: $68,780
How Much Teachers Make in the District of Columbia
Preschool teacher: $55,960
Kindergarten teacher: $59,870
Elementary school teacher: $78,010
Middle school teacher: $74,510
High school teacher: $77,760
How Much Teachers Make in Florida
Preschool teacher: $29,890
Kindergarten teacher: $59,040
Elementary school teacher: $61,510
Middle school teacher: $60,280
High school teacher: $64,120
How Much Teachers Make in Georgia
Preschool teacher: $38,140
Kindergarten teacher: $65,210
Elementary school teacher: $63,930
Middle school teacher: $64,460
High school teacher: $69,430
How Much Teachers Make in Hawaii
Preschool teacher: $40,480
Kindergarten teacher: $55,890
Elementary school teacher: $64,240
Middle school teacher: $63,100
High school teacher: $64,880
How Much Teachers Make in Idaho
Preschool teacher: $27,460
Kindergarten teacher: $44,550
Elementary school teacher: $51,120
Middle school teacher: $50,280
High school teacher: $53,820
How Much Teachers Make in Illinois
Preschool teacher: $35,840
Kindergarten teacher: $65,790
Elementary school teacher: $67,810
Middle school teacher: $67,170
High school teacher: $71,690
How Much Teachers Make in Indiana
Preschool teacher: $30,860
Kindergarten teacher: $52,570
Elementary school teacher: $53,100
Middle school teacher: $55,510
High school teacher: $55,250
How Much Teachers Make in Iowa
Preschool teacher: $32,450
Kindergarten teacher: $51,420
Elementary school teacher: $55,470
Middle school teacher: $57,940
High school teacher: $57,890
How Much Teachers Make in Kansas
Preschool teacher: $40,590
Kindergarten teacher: $56,630
Elementary school teacher: $56,060
Middle school teacher: $59,630
High school teacher: $56,320
How Much Teachers Make in Kentucky
Preschool teacher: $40,120
Kindergarten teacher: $54,050
Elementary school teacher: $55,020
Middle school teacher: $55,650
High school teacher: $57,300
How Much Teachers Make in Louisiana
Preschool teacher: $31,290
Kindergarten teacher: $44,360
Elementary school teacher: $51,450
Middle school teacher: $52,170
High school teacher: $53,950
How Much Teachers Make in Maine
Preschool teacher: $37,580
Kindergarten teacher: $52,910
Elementary school teacher: $57,940
Middle school teacher: $59,760
High school teacher: $57,520
How Much Teachers Make in Maryland
Preschool teacher: $41,070
Kindergarten teacher: $67,390
Elementary school teacher: $71,790
Middle school teacher: $73,480
High school teacher: $75,840
How Much Teachers Make in Massachusetts
Preschool teacher: $43,710
Kindergarten teacher: $85,470
Elementary school teacher: $83,790
Middle school teacher: $85,740
High school teacher: $85,360
How Much Teachers Make in Michigan
Preschool teacher: $35,950
Kindergarten teacher: $59,910
Elementary school teacher: $65,760
Middle school teacher: $62,910
High school teacher: $63,120
How Much Teachers Make in Minnesota
Preschool teacher: $37,870
Kindergarten teacher: $64,290
Elementary school teacher: $67,300
Middle school teacher: $65,630
High school teacher: $63,970
How Much Teachers Make in Mississippi
Preschool teacher: $26,860
Kindergarten teacher: $46,610
Elementary school teacher: $45,760
Middle school teacher: $46,880
High school teacher: $48,030
How Much Teachers Make in Missouri
Preschool teacher: $36,480
Kindergarten teacher: $54,860
Elementary school teacher: $54,010
Middle school teacher: $57,560
High school teacher: $48,900
How Much Teachers Make in Montana
Preschool teacher: $31,640
Kindergarten teacher: $46,020
Elementary school teacher: $54,970
Middle school teacher: $57,560
High school teacher: $53,660
How Much Teachers Make in Nebraska
Preschool teacher: $42,190
Kindergarten teacher: $64,630
Elementary school teacher: $61,510
Middle school teacher: $64,030
High school teacher: $63,370
How Much Teachers Make in Nevada
Preschool teacher: $33,540
Kindergarten teacher: $57,940
Elementary school teacher: $59,230
Middle school teacher: $62,880
High school teacher: $61,820
How Much Teachers Make in New Hampshire
Preschool teacher: $33,210
Kindergarten teacher: $62,140
Elementary school teacher: $61,580
Middle school teacher: $62,900
High school teacher: $65,770
How Much Teachers Make in New Jersey
Preschool teacher: $44,810
Kindergarten teacher: $72,170
Elementary school teacher: $73,120
Middle school teacher: $74,390
High school teacher: $79,260
How Much Teachers Make in New Mexico
Preschool teacher: $31,930
Kindergarten teacher: $54,060
Elementary school teacher: $58,720
Middle school teacher: $59,750
High school teacher: $60,770
How Much Teachers Make in New York
Preschool teacher: $43,880
Kindergarten teacher: $84,530
Elementary school teacher: $87,700
Middle school teacher: $94,690
High school teacher: $92,660
How Much Teachers Make in North Carolina
Preschool teacher: $29,530
Kindergarten teacher: $48,770
Elementary school teacher: $50,530
Middle school teacher: $50,630
High school teacher: $52,280
How Much Teachers Make in North Dakota
Preschool teacher: $34,640
Kindergarten teacher: $55,480
Elementary school teacher: $55,940
Middle school teacher: $59,750
High school teacher: $56,090
How Much Teachers Make in Ohio
Preschool teacher: $32,020
Kindergarten teacher: $60,600
Elementary school teacher: $67,850
Middle school teacher: $67,190
High school teacher: $71,180
How Much Teachers Make in Oklahoma
Preschool teacher: $34,730
Kindergarten teacher: $53,820
Elementary school teacher: $52,950
Middle school teacher: $54,220
High school teacher: $55,950
How Much Teachers Make in Oregon
Preschool teacher: $36,040
Kindergarten teacher: $77,920
Elementary school teacher: $73,860
Middle school teacher: $75,570
High school teacher: $76,090
How Much Teachers Make in Pennsylvania
Preschool teacher: $32,430
Kindergarten teacher: $68,250
Elementary school teacher: $70,200
Middle school teacher: $68,850
High school teacher: $73,800
How Much Teachers Make in Rhode Island
Preschool teacher: $35,150
Kindergarten teacher: $77,220
Elementary school teacher: $72,510
Middle school teacher: $73,210
High school teacher: $72,270
How Much Teachers Make in South Carolina
Preschool teacher: $29,900
Kindergarten teacher: $50,970
Elementary school teacher: $55,210
Middle school teacher: $56,350
High school teacher: $56,120
How Much Teachers Make in South Dakota
Preschool teacher: $32,040
Kindergarten teacher: $$46,520
Elementary school teacher: $47,670
Middle school teacher: $48,230
High school teacher: $48,620
How Much Teachers Make in Tennessee
Preschool teacher: $32,680
Kindergarten teacher: $50,490
Elementary school teacher: $54,290
Middle school teacher: $54,000
High school teacher: $56,260
How Much Teachers Make in Texas
Preschool teacher: $36,760
Kindergarten teacher: $59,270
Elementary school teacher: $59,210
Middle school teacher: $59,080
High school teacher: $60,470
How Much Teachers Make in Utah
Preschool teacher: $32,070
Kindergarten teacher: $58,370
Elementary school teacher: $60,300
Middle school teacher: $64,520
High school teacher: $64,350
How Much Teachers Make in Vermont
Preschool teacher: $39,190
Kindergarten teacher: $56,360
Elementary school teacher: $63,520
Middle school teacher: $59,640
High school teacher: $64,920
How Much Teachers Make in Virginia
Preschool teacher: $37,040
Kindergarten teacher: $66,100
Elementary school teacher: $74,920
Middle school teacher: $75,760
High school teacher: $76,430
How Much Teachers Make in Washington
Preschool teacher: $32,050
Kindergarten teacher: $77,860
Elementary school teacher: $83,010
Middle school teacher: $83,460
High school teacher: $85,260
How Much Teachers Make in West Virginia
Preschool teacher: $31,470
Kindergarten teacher: $52,010
Elementary school teacher: $50,130
Middle school teacher: $50,190
High school teacher: $53,540
How Much Teachers Make in Wisconsin
Preschool teacher: $30,260
Kindergarten teacher: $56,670
Elementary school teacher: $60,080
Middle school teacher: $58,450
High school teacher: $61,440
How Much Teachers Make in Wyoming
Preschool teacher: $30,260
Kindergarten teacher: $60,900
Elementary school teacher: $61,100
Middle school teacher: $64,210
High school teacher: $63,820
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Methodology: GOBankingRates analyzed the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2021 data on employment and wages by state to find the average annual wage for (1) preschool, (2) elementary school, (3) middle school and (4) high school teachers in every state. All data was collected on and up to date as of July 21, 2022.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Here’s How Much Teachers Make in Every State
