I have heard people say that teaching is a noble profession. I have also heard people say that without teachers, none of the other professions would exist. I have always agreed with these statements, which is one of the reasons I am a lifelong educator. However, I always believed that many people who repeat these statements don’t fully believe what they are saying.

Why? Because if they truly believed that K-12 teachers were valuable they would fully fund education and pay teachers what they are worth. Instead, many teachers receive salaries that allow them to live a working-class lifestyle. However, I would argue their work is professional in nature, and as a result, they should be paid a salary that allows them to live a middle-class existence.

Some people would push back and say that teacher salaries are fine, but the numbers say differently. Don’t believe me, check out the average teacher’s salary for 2017-2018. After you view them, think about the cost of living in each state. Would it allow a teacher to live a middle-class existence? Is it a fair given all of the things that teachers do on a day to day basis? Leave your thoughts in the comment box.

Here’s how the states ranked during the 2017-2018 school year:

1. New York: $83,585
2. California: $81,126
3. Massachusetts: $79,710
4. Connecticut: $73,113
5. New Jersey: $69,917
6. Maryland: $69,761
7. Alaska: $69,474
8. Pennsylvania: $67,398
9. Illinois: $66,778
10. Rhode Island: $66,758
11. Oregon: $63,143
12. Michigan: $62,702
13. Delaware: $60,484
14. Wyoming: $58,578
15. Vermont: $58,572
16. Ohio: $58,000
17. New Hampshire: $57,833
18. Hawaii: $57,866
19. Nevada: $57,812
20. Minnesota: $57,782
21. Iowa: $56,790
22. Georgia: $56,329
23. Wisconsin: $55,895
24. Washington: $55,175
25. North Dakota: $54,421
26. Indiana: $54,846
27. Nebraska: $53,473
28. Texas: $53,167
29. Kentucky: $52,952
30. Montana: $52,776
31. Colorado: $52,389
32. Maine: $51,663
33. Virginia: $51,265
34. South Carolina, $51,027
35. Tennessee: $50,900
36. North Carolina: $50,861
37. Kansas: $50,403
38. Louisiana: $50,256
39. Alabama: $50,239
40. Idaho: $49,225
41. Missouri: $49,208
42. Arkansas: $49,017
43. South Dakota: $47,944
44. New Mexico: $47,839
45. Florida: $47,721
46. Arizona: $47,746
47. Utah: $47,604
48. Oklahoma: $45,678
49. West Virginia: $45,642
50. Mississippi: $43,107