The 15 best US states to be a public school teacher

Allana AkhtarSep 23, 2019, 20:26 IST

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North Dakota, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania topped WalletHub's annual ranking of the best states to be a teacher.
New Jersey has the best school districts in the country, while North Dakota has the second lowest pupil-teacher ratio after Vermont.
Here are the 15 best states to be a teacher.
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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.

North Dakota, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania topped the list. New Jersey has some of the best school districts in the country, while North Dakota has the second lowest pupil-teacher ratio after Vermont.

Illinois ranks as the sixth best state for teachers, despite talk of a looming strike among Chicago-area teachers. Unionized teachers say classrooms have become overcrowded and that low-income districts lack resources, NBC News reported.

Here are the best states for teachers in 2019:

See The 15 best US states to be a public school teacher >>

15. Washington: Teachers in Seattle recently negotiated a contract for salaries as high as $124,000.

Academic and work environment rank: 17th

Opportunity and competition rank: 19th

Source: The Seattle Times

14. Kentucky: Teachers have recently filled vacancies and helped eliminate the statewide shortage.

Academic and work environment rank: 20th

Opportunity and competition rank: 15th

Source: Courier Journal

13. Kansas: The state has the 20th highest high school graduation rate in the country.

Academic and work environment rank: 18th

Opportunity and competition rank: 18th

Source: USA Today

12. Oregon: Teachers there make above the US teacher pay average.

Academic and work environment rank: 34th

Opportunity and competition rank: 4th

Source: Oregon Live

11. Delaware: It has been named as a top teacher-friendly states by other rankings.

Academic and work environment rank: 9th

Opportunity and competition rank: 23rd

Source: TeacherPortal.com

10. New York: The state has the highest public school spending per student in the nation.

Academic and work environment rank: 6th

Opportunity and competition rank: 25th

Source: WalletHub

9. Utah: Teachers have the 5th highest potential for income growth.

Academic and work environment rank: 22nd

Opportunity and competition rank: 8th

Source: Utah State Board of Education

8. Massachusetts: The state has the country's best school systems, according to various reports and rankings.

Academic and work environment rank: 5th

Opportunity and competition rank: 24th

Source: WalletHub

7. Minnesota: Educators there earn the 21st-highest average teacher pay in the country.

Academic and work environment rank: 7th

Opportunity and competition rank: 14th

Source: Patch.com

6. Illinois: It has the 11th highest average teacher salary in the country.

Academic and work environment rank: 16th

Opportunity and competition rank: 6th

Source: Patch.com

5. Connecticut: It's considered one of the most educated states in the country, according to various studies and rankings.

Academic and work environment rank: 2nd

Opportunity and competition rank: 32rd

Source: US News & World Report

4. Wyoming: It has the highest annual average starting salary for teachers (adjusted for cost of living) at $44,971.

Academic and work environment rank: 4th

Opportunity and competition rank: 20th

Source: WalletHub

3. Pennsylvania: It has the second highest annual teacher salaries in the country.

Academic and work environment rank: 10th

Opportunity and competition rank: 2nd

Source: WalletHub

2. New Jersey: The state is ranked as having the second best school districts in the country.

Academic and work environment rank: 1st

Opportunity and competition rank: 17th

Source: WalletHub

1. North Dakota: It has the second lowest pupil-teacher ratio, after Vermont.

Academic and work environment rank: 3rd

Opportunity and competition rank: 11th

Source: WalletHub

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The 15 best US states to be a public school teacher

15. Washington: Teachers in Seattle recently negotiated a contract for salaries as high as $124,000.

14. Kentucky: Teachers have recently filled vacancies and helped eliminate the statewide shortage.

13. Kansas: The state has the 20th highest high school graduation rate in the country.

12. Oregon: Teachers there make above the US teacher pay average.

11. Delaware: It has been named as a top teacher-friendly states by other rankings.

10. New York: The state has the highest public school spending per student in the nation.

9. Utah: Teachers have the 5th highest potential for income growth.

8. Massachusetts: The state has the country's best school systems, according to various reports and rankings.

7. Minnesota: Educators there earn the 21st-highest average teacher pay in the country.

6. Illinois: It has the 11th highest average teacher salary in the country.

5. Connecticut: It's considered one of the most educated states in the country, according to various studies and rankings.

4. Wyoming: It has the highest annual average starting salary for teachers (adjusted for cost of living) at $44,971.

3. Pennsylvania: It has the second highest annual teacher salaries in the country.

2. New Jersey: The state is ranked as having the second best school districts in the country.

1. North Dakota: It has the second lowest pupil-teacher ratio, after Vermont.