Highest Paying States for Teachers by Average Salary

What this estimated average salary actually measures

Each state figure is instructional-salary expenditure divided by reported teacher full-time-equivalent in the FY2023 NCES F-33 release. PlainTeacher applies the same district filter everywhere: only districts with enrollment of at least 200 and a salary estimate between $30,000 and $200,000 enter the state average. That keeps tiny or non-reporting districts from moving a headline number, but it also means the figure is a derived state aggregate, not a published salary schedule, a starting offer, or total compensation with benefits.

How to read this ranking

Use the table for a consistent FY2023 comparison across jurisdictions. A higher nominal estimate does not automatically mean better purchasing power; the scatter chart above shows the same estimate after BEA's FY2023 all-items Regional Price Parity adjustment. When the mean sits well above the median in a state, a few large districts are pulling the average up, which is why the table includes both median district and districts-counted columns.

For an individual decision, follow a state profile, then a district page, then local contract or HR sources. This ranking cannot tell you what one teacher earns, whether a shortage exists, or how pension and health benefits compare.

Why District of Columbia leads and California sits second

District of Columbia ranks first in this FY2023 comparison at $124,986 across 1 counted districts. California follows at $110,546. Delaware is third at $92,029. These positions reflect the aggregated F-33 inputs for each jurisdiction, not a policy scorecard. A jurisdiction can rank high because its counted districts report higher instructional-salary expenditure relative to reported FTE, because its district mix skews toward larger enrollments, or because fewer small districts dilute the average.

The District of Columbia often appears near the top because it is a single urban jurisdiction in the dataset rather than a mix of rural and suburban districts. Large states such as California or New York can sit slightly lower in nominal rank while still dominating total enrollment and district counts. Read rank, median district, and enrollment counted together instead of treating the first row as a universal "best place to teach" verdict.

States excluded from this comparison

Alaska and Illinois have no district with a usable teacher-salary estimate in this extract (reported salary between $30k and $200k with enrollment of at least 200), so they are omitted rather than imputed. The list covers 49 jurisdictions. Missing a state here means "no comparable breakout in this release," not "teachers are unpaid."

How figures shift across NCES releases

This page is pinned to FY2023 F-33. When NCES publishes a new finance vintage, state ranks can move because districts enter or leave the counted panel, instructional-salary expenditure is revised, or teacher FTE reporting changes. A state that gains one rank in a new release is not proof that every teacher received a raise; it is proof that the documented inputs moved. PlainTeacher's multi-year improvement ranking uses a fixed district cohort for that reason. After each refresh, compare the release notes on the methodology page before treating a movement as a policy outcome.