Are Teachers in New York Underpaid?

New research says that teachers in New York have it better than teachers in any other part of the country.

If you're a teacher or have a teacher in your life let me start by saying that no matter what any research says I feel that if one profession deserves a raise it's teachers. Right? It's been debated for many years and according to new research New York teachers actually have it better as far as their yearly salary goes than almost all teachers in every other state but is it enough?

The Best States to be a Teacher

The folks at Play PA have just released the results of a new study that looked at and compared various factors to try and determine which states are the best for teachers. They weighed factors including, yearly pay, salary vs. living wage, second jobs, class size, and a few more to try and help anyone thinking of becoming a teacher find the best state to work in or the state to avoid. Pennsylvania landed at #1 this year due in large part because it spends the most money on each student, more than any other state but it didn't place in the top 10 when it comes to paying teachers.

New York Pays Teachers the Most

New York took the #2 spot on this year's rankings mostly because research showed that New York teachers have the highest average teacher salary in the country averaging around $91,097 a year. That figure exceeds the state living wage by 66% and is almost double what the state of Mississippi pays its teachers per year($47,902). Massachusetts, California, Washington D.C., and Washington State round out the top five states for best teacher salaries.

Do Teachers Make Enough?

Unfortunately in most states, the answer is no as research shows that many teachers are forced to hold a second job. In New York, approximately 13.9% of teachers have to hold a second job which might seem high but compared to other states it puts New York in the Top 5 states with the least number of teachers with second jobs. Over 22% of teachers in (#3)South Carolina, (#2) Montana, and (#1) New Jersey reportedly have to hold second jobs.

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If you are a teacher, do you feel like you are compensated appropriately? Let us know what you think through our station app above. For more information on this study check out Play PA.