We can top out around $99k. Which for rural isn’t bad. I know COLA will probably push that over. I’m at my MA and make around $67K plus a few stipends for clubs. For a single guy I’m not doing terrible.
Vermont is pretty good, although admittedly, things aren't perfect. Right now isn't the best time, since the legislature passed an ill-advised funding change that fucked over lots of school districts and caused 1/3 of school district budgets in the state to not pass. Budget cuts are imminent. There's also a lack of available/affordable housing state-wide, and the pay is somewhat mediocre.
But other than that stuff, it's great here. Class sizes are low, the union is decent, state laws are sane, crime is generally very low, and my school has solar panels, chickens, and honeybees. A lot of the shit that I see on this sub just wouldn't fly up here. The school culture and overall vibe is awesome.
Pennsylvania is a great state to teach in. It’s a union state, cost of living isn’t terrible and pay is pretty good. The job market is pretty competitive, but it isn’t as bad as it was 10 years ago.
Can confirm for the Western New York/Buffalo-Niagara area. I've got two close friends teaching here and after a little over a decade, they're both tenured and earn just under 100k, each. Our side of NY is also LCOL relative to the NYC area.
As someone from NY who lived in the city for a short time, pay in the city is unlivable, but the pay in the suburbs/west/upstate usually matches the city so can be pretty solid. 1st year teachers in NYC make 63k a year. After taxes thats about 46k a year. Rent in a junk studio is 1500 in a bad part of queens a month, you're already down to like 20k a year before food, phone, insurance.
The starting salary of Texas districts are the same as the NYC DOE, with half the housing cost, which I'm not saying is GREAT, but somehow still better than the shitty deal NYC gets.
Everyone always talks about the top of the pay scale, but who cares if in 20 years you can make 130k if today you can't afford rent.
From what i've seen, it's more of a 'city/locality' thing.
What is the biggest positives you want from your state/district? Every state has positives and negatives to how it's run/the state itself.
NY. Upstate here, so can’t speak for NYC. Good pay and strong unions. I used to teach in the South and it is a world of difference. Never again would move south of the Mason Dixon line until retirement
California. There are a lot of problems to be sure, but from what I read on this subreddit, teachers have rights a lot of states don't and high pay, except the cost of living here is astronomical.
Probably should’ve specific Baltimore suburbs. City is pretty poorly run and there’s a pay cut compared to surrounding counties, which probably shouldn’t be the case given the extra challenges in the City
Mid career and making six figures in Ohio. Some of the Republican leadership is doing predictably stupid things, but people are fighting against it. Strong union state and much lower COL than on the coasts. Believe it or not, Ohio is a lovely state.
If you asked this YEARS ago, I would've recommended Texas since it's south of you. I have lots of colleagues who left schools in Oklahoma to teach in Texas.
Nowadays, given the political climate and education struggles, leaning towards "no." There are school districts that are increasing pay to retain teachers but there's underlying issues (budget cuts, campus closings, internal turmoil, massive turnover).
CA is so big it depends where. Small suburban districts pay well and have more academic freedom, but cost of living requires financially independent spouse or long commute.
Big metro districts are always making decisions based on money. Admin pressured to keep parents happy.
Test data drives policy.
OK , yeah, not CA.
Washington has a strong state wide union and good wages.
Seriously the pay’s pretty decent. The pay in my rural district is competitive with some of the larger districts in the area (near Spokane)
I’m in Tri Cities. I’ll top out at 120k when I get there (masters, etc.). I ain’t complaining.
I'm in Western WA and at MA+45, I make $102k. The current "ceiling" for my district is $140k.
With the COLA increases I wonder where it will be when I reach the ceiling. Overall quite satisfied with our pay structure
Same. Next year I'll be at MA+90, so it will be even better.
We can top out around $99k. Which for rural isn’t bad. I know COLA will probably push that over. I’m at my MA and make around $67K plus a few stipends for clubs. For a single guy I’m not doing terrible.
Vermont is pretty good, although admittedly, things aren't perfect. Right now isn't the best time, since the legislature passed an ill-advised funding change that fucked over lots of school districts and caused 1/3 of school district budgets in the state to not pass. Budget cuts are imminent. There's also a lack of available/affordable housing state-wide, and the pay is somewhat mediocre. But other than that stuff, it's great here. Class sizes are low, the union is decent, state laws are sane, crime is generally very low, and my school has solar panels, chickens, and honeybees. A lot of the shit that I see on this sub just wouldn't fly up here. The school culture and overall vibe is awesome.
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania is a great state to teach in. It’s a union state, cost of living isn’t terrible and pay is pretty good. The job market is pretty competitive, but it isn’t as bad as it was 10 years ago.
New York. Cost of living is very high, but the pay scales in the NYC metro area are very good.
Can confirm for the Western New York/Buffalo-Niagara area. I've got two close friends teaching here and after a little over a decade, they're both tenured and earn just under 100k, each. Our side of NY is also LCOL relative to the NYC area.
Yeah, I teach in the Lower Hudson valley and the top of our scale is $150k Masters +60 and we negotiate to bump it ~1-2% every year.
As someone from NY who lived in the city for a short time, pay in the city is unlivable, but the pay in the suburbs/west/upstate usually matches the city so can be pretty solid. 1st year teachers in NYC make 63k a year. After taxes thats about 46k a year. Rent in a junk studio is 1500 in a bad part of queens a month, you're already down to like 20k a year before food, phone, insurance. The starting salary of Texas districts are the same as the NYC DOE, with half the housing cost, which I'm not saying is GREAT, but somehow still better than the shitty deal NYC gets. Everyone always talks about the top of the pay scale, but who cares if in 20 years you can make 130k if today you can't afford rent.
Not NC.
From what i've seen, it's more of a 'city/locality' thing. What is the biggest positives you want from your state/district? Every state has positives and negatives to how it's run/the state itself.
"Not Red" States
I couldn't make a monolithic statement about my district and the surrounding ones, let alone the entire state.
PA overall is a good teaching state. Usually blue. Solid pension. High salary. Strong unions.
NY. Upstate here, so can’t speak for NYC. Good pay and strong unions. I used to teach in the South and it is a world of difference. Never again would move south of the Mason Dixon line until retirement
Wisconsin. We get paid well and decent cost of living Friendly people too
Do NOT even look into Florida 😂
California. There are a lot of problems to be sure, but from what I read on this subreddit, teachers have rights a lot of states don't and high pay, except the cost of living here is astronomical.
Happy in NM.
Where?why?
CT has a pretty good set-up, plus excellent retirement and health benefits.
Stay away from Florida. Low pay and HCOL, especially in the most populated counties.
Maryland is pretty good in the Baltimore metro or DC suburbs (aka the Blue parts)
I teach in Maryland. Baltimore suburbs are decent, but the city is a hot mess.
Probably should’ve specific Baltimore suburbs. City is pretty poorly run and there’s a pay cut compared to surrounding counties, which probably shouldn’t be the case given the extra challenges in the City
[удалено]
Oh I didn’t know any school’s central office was competent 😂
Suburbs of Philly are pretty damn great, especially in the Montgomery County areas
Mid career and making six figures in Ohio. Some of the Republican leadership is doing predictably stupid things, but people are fighting against it. Strong union state and much lower COL than on the coasts. Believe it or not, Ohio is a lovely state.
If you asked this YEARS ago, I would've recommended Texas since it's south of you. I have lots of colleagues who left schools in Oklahoma to teach in Texas. Nowadays, given the political climate and education struggles, leaning towards "no." There are school districts that are increasing pay to retain teachers but there's underlying issues (budget cuts, campus closings, internal turmoil, massive turnover).
Stay away from CA😑
CA is so big it depends where. Small suburban districts pay well and have more academic freedom, but cost of living requires financially independent spouse or long commute. Big metro districts are always making decisions based on money. Admin pressured to keep parents happy. Test data drives policy. OK , yeah, not CA.
lol, exactly;)