Teaching is one of the most important jobs around, but teachers are often overworked, underpaid, and all too often, they’re underappreciated, too. Fortunately, some parts of the country do a better job at treating their teachers fairly and compensating them well. And a new report from WalletHub highlights where those are.
- They just released their list of the Best and Worst States for Teachers for 2025.
- WalletHub rated all 50 states and Washington, D.C. on 24 key indicators of teacher-friendliness, in the areas of Opportunity & Competition and Academic & Work Environment.
- Factors they were judged on include starting salary, income growth potential, student-to-teacher ratio, teacher security, and public school spending per student.
- Virginia is this year’s best state for teachers, thanks to having the highest income growth potential in the country. It also offers tenure to teachers after just three years.
- Utah tops the list for Opportunity & Competition, while Delaware is first for Academic & Work Environment.
- On the flip side, this year’s worst state for teachers is Hawaii, coming in 48th for Opportunity & Competition and 43rd for Academic & Work Environment.
Top 10 Best States for Teachers
(Click here to see where your state falls on the list)
- Virginia
- Utah
- Washington
- New York
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Georgia
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- California
The 10 Worst States for Teachers
- Hawaii
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- Maine
- South Dakota
- Wyoming
- Alaska
- Missouri
- Iowa
- Rhode Island
Source: WalletHub
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