Mehdi Fedouach/AFP via Getty Images
- Washington, Utah, and New Jersey topped WalletHub’s annual ranking of the best states to be a teacher.
- New Jersey has the best school districts in the country. Pennsylvania, the fifth-highest-ranked state, has the second-highest annual teacher salaries in the country.
- Here are the 15 best states to be a teacher.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Some states treat teachers better than others.
Personal finance site WalletHub analyzed the states where teachers enjoy the highest salaries and most supportive administration in their annual ranking of the best and worst places to teach.
WalletHub ranked the states that scored highly in two key categories:
- “Opportunity and competition,” which includes how competitive salaries were, teacher pensions, and income growth.
- “Academic and work environment,” which includes the quality of the school system, how many students per teacher, and the rate of turnover.
Washington, Utah, and New Jersey topped the list. New Jersey has some of the best school districts in the country, while teachers in Seattle recently negotiated a contract for salaries as high as $124,000.
Here are the best states for teachers in 2019:
Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 12th
Opportunity and competition rank: 30th
Source: Indy Star
14. Connecticut: It’s considered one of the most educated states in the country, according to various studies and rankings.
Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 5th
Opportunity and competition rank: 37th
Source: US News & World Report
13. Minnesota: Educators there earn the 21st-highest average teacher pay in the country.
Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 14th
Opportunity and competition rank: 17th
Source: Patch.com
12. California: The state has the second-highest percentage of top-ranked public high schools.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 45th
Opportunity and competition rank: 1st
Source: US News & World Report
11. Massachusetts: The state has the country’s best school systems, according to various reports and rankings.
Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 6th
Opportunity and competition rank: 22nd
Source: WalletHub
10. Oregon: Teachers there make above the US teacher pay average.
Tony Avelar/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 31st
Opportunity and competition rank: 4th
Source: Oregon Live
9. New York: The state has the highest public school spending per student in the nation.
Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 2nd
Opportunity and competition rank: 29th
Source: WalletHub
8. Maryland: The state ranks as the eighth-best for union strength.
Amanda Voisard/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 3rd
Opportunity and competition rank: 25th
Source: Patch
7. Virginia: The state ranks within the top 10 for high elementary school teacher pay.
Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 11th
Opportunity and competition rank: 11th
Source: Forbes
6. North Dakota: It has the third-lowest pupil-teacher ratio, after Vermont and Maine.
Associated Press
Academic and work environment rank: 7th
Opportunity and competition rank: 19th
Source: WalletHub
5. Pennsylvania: It has the second-highest annual teacher salaries in the country.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 15th
Opportunity and competition rank: 5th
Source: WalletHub
4. Delaware: It has been named as a top teacher-friendly state by other rankings.
Associated Press
Academic and work environment rank: 1st
Opportunity and competition rank: 26th
Source: TeacherPortal.com
3. New Jersey: The state is ranked as having the second-best school districts in the country.
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/GettyImages
Academic and work environment rank: 4th
Opportunity and competition rank: 14th
Source: WalletHub
2. Utah: Teachers are able to get free COVID-19 testing statewide, with or without showing symptoms.
Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 16th
Opportunity and competition rank: 3rd
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune
1. Washington: Teachers in Seattle recently negotiated a contract for salaries as high as $124,000.
Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Academic and work environment rank: 10th
Opportunity and competition rank: 2rd
Source: The Seattle Times
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