Joanne Jacobs
Mar 22, 20181 min
Which states pay teachers the most and least when cost of living is factored in? asks NPR’s Cory Turner.
EdBuild, a nonprofit, adjusted average pay by regional cost differences using 2015-16 average teacher salaries. (Look here for starting salaries.
The top paying states, adjusting for cost of living, are Michigan, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Hawaii, which ranks 18th before the COLA, falls to last. Maine, South Dakota, Arizona and Utah also pay poorly.
New York ranks first in average salary at $77,957 but only 17th after the adjustment. California and Washington, D.C. also fall to the middle, despite high dollar amounts.
Looking at states where teachers are threatening to walk out, Kentucky jumps to seventh, Oklahoma rises from 49th to 40th and Arizona stays about the same at 48th.