Average teacher salary in Minnesota: Here's how much educators are paid
A classroom. (Photo by Riccardo Fabi/NurPhoto via Getty Images) ( (Photo by Riccardo Fabi/NurPhoto via Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - As schools across the country struggle to find teachers to hire, more governors are pushing for pay increases, bonuses and other perks for the beleaguered profession.
Meanwhile, teacher salaries have fallen further and further behind those of their college-educated peers in other fields. Besides fewer teachers getting certified, the "teacher pay penalty" — the gap between teacher salaries and their college-educated peers in other professions — is growing.
Here’s how teacher salaries in Minnesota compare to elsewhere in the United States.
School teacher salary
Even with record-level increases in some states, average teacher pay has failed to keep up with inflation over the past decade.
RELATED: Maps of school teacher salary averages for 2024
Adjusted for inflation, on average, teachers are making 5% less than they did 10 years ago, the National Education Association (NEA) said in April 2024. The NEA is the nation’s largest teachers union.
Minnesota's average starting teacher salary
The average starting salary for teachers in Minnesota is $43,181, which ranks No. 25 in the nation, according to the NEA.
In Wisconsin, the starting salary is $41,151, which is No. 38 in the nation, according to the NEA.
The minimum living wage in Minnesota is $63,957, the Economic Policy Institute says.
Minnesota's average teacher salary
The average teacher salary in Minnesota is $70,005, which is No. 15 in the nation, according to the NEA.
In Wisconsin, the average teacher salary is $62,524, which is No. 25 in the nation, according to the NEA.
National teacher salary average
The national average starting teacher salary in 2024 was $44,530, according to the NEA.
The national average teacher salary in 2024 was $69,544, according to the NEA.
Here’s how that compares across the country:
States with the highest average teacher salaries:
- California ($95,160)
- New York ($92,696)
- Massachusetts ($92,307)
- Washington ($86,804)
- District of Columbia ($84,882)
States with the lowest average teacher salaries:
- West Virginia ($52,870)
- Florida ($53,098)
- South Dakota ($53,153)
- Mississippi ($53,354)
- Missouri ($53,999)
Teacher minimum living wage
The Economic Policy Institute says the minimum living wage is the income needed for a family of one adult and one child to have a modest but adequate standard of living in the most affordable metro area.
Here’s how average teacher salaries measure up to each state’s minimum living wage threshold in the Midwest: