A map shows where teachers are paid the best—and worst—in the U.S.
The National Education Association's (NEA) 2024 report on educator pay in 50 states and the District of Columbia says the national average teacher salary for the 2022-23 school year increased to $69,544.
California ranked as the best state for teacher pay, with teachers receiving an average salary of $95,150 in the 2022-23 year. New York dropped from first to second place from the year before, paying teachers an average salary of $92,696.
Massachusetts came in third, with an average teacher salary of $92,307, followed by Washington, where teachers were paid an average salary of $86,804, while those in the District of Columbia earned $84,882 on average.
West Virginia ranked at the bottom of the list as the average teacher salary there was $52,870. Florida was second from last, with an average teacher salary of $53,098.
The NEA's report said average teacher pay has failed to keep up with inflation, with teachers on average making 5 percent less than they did 10 years ago.
The national average starting teacher salary was $44,530 in the 2022-23 year. It was the largest increase in the average teacher starting salary in the 14 years that the NEA has been tracking the numbers, but salaries are still more than $4,000 below 2008-09 levels when adjusted for inflation, according to the report.
Chronic low pay is plaguing the teaching profession, according to the report. Seventy-seven percent of school districts pay teachers a starting salary below $50,000 and more than a third of full time K-12 education support professionals earning less than $25,000 a year, the report said.
Unions have helped drive up teacher pay, according to the report. It said that teachers earn 26 percent more, on average, in states with collective bargaining, while education support professional make 16 percent more.
"Every student, regardless of race or place, deserves caring, qualified, committed educators," NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement.
"And every educator needs our fierce support in helping them inspire imagination, curiosity, and a love of learning and to provide the skills students need to thrive in their brilliance."
Pringle said the "good news is that through their unions, educators have demanded respect and a seat at the table and have used the power of their collective voice to demand more. More for their students, more professional respect, and more pay.
"By holding elected officials accountable, educators will earn the respect, competitive wages, and support they deserve to provide their students with the skills needed to fulfill their dreams in safe, just, and welcoming learning environments."
The report comes as states across the country are grappling with teacher shortages. Newsweek reported last year that low pay was a main factor driving a growing number of teachers to leave the profession.
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