Colorado starting teachers averaged $33,483 in 2018, 6th lowest in U.S.
A beginning teacher’s salary in Colorado averaged $33,483 for the 2017-2018 school year, the sixth lowest rank among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to data analyzed by the National Education Association (NEA).
Nationwide, the average starting teacher’s salary last year stood at $39,249, the NEA reported. In inflation-adjusted dollars, starting teachers’ pay has dipped 2.9 percent over the past decade, according to the analysis.
In addition, more than six out of every 10 school districts nationwide offer starting teacher salaries that are under $40,000, the NEA said. And first-year teachers in 300 public school districts receive annual pay of below $30,000, according to the study.
The NEA also pointed to a recent Economic Policy Institute report that concludes teachers are paid more than 21 percent less than other professionals with similar education and experience.
Average Starting Teacher Salaries by State
Rank | State | Average Starting Salary |
1 | District of Columbia | $55,209 |
2 | New Jersey | $51,443 |
3 | California | $46,992 |
4 | Alaska | $46,954 |
5 | Hawaii | $46,790 |
6 | Connecticut | $45,922 |
7 | New York | $45,589 |
8 | Massachusetts | $45,498 |
9 | Wyoming | $45,241 |
10 | Maryland | $45,147 |
11 | Pennsylvania | $44,647 |
12 | Washington | $42,240 |
13 | Rhode Island | $41,689 |
14 | Delaware | $41,639 |
15 | Texas | $41,481 |
16 | Virginia | $40,453 |
17 | Louisiana | $40,303 |
18 | Illinois | $39,236 |
19 | Nevada | $39,054 |
20 | North Dakota | $38,611 |
21 | Minnesota | $38,529 |
22 | Utah | $38,499 |
23 | Vermont | $38,499 |
24 | Alabama | $38,491 |
25 | Wisconsin | $38,181 |
26 | South Dakota | $38,098 |
27 | Florida | $37,636 |
28 | North Carolina | $37,631 |
29 | New Hampshire | $37,395 |
30 | Tennessee | $37,305 |
31 | Iowa | $37,048 |
32 | Kentucky | $36,752 |
33 | Michigan | $36,599 |
34 | New Mexico | $36,405 |
35 | Oregon | $36,319 |
36 | Indiana | $35,943 |
37 | Ohio | $35,923 |
38 | Kansas | $35,769 |
39 | Georgia | $35,474 |
40 | Idaho | $34,801 |
41 | Maine | $34,788 |
42 | Mississippi | $34,784 |
43 | Arizona | $34,473 |
44 | Nebraska | $34,465 |
45 | West Virginia | $33,715 |
46 | Colorado | $33,483 |
47 | Arkansas | $33,323 |
48 | South Carolina | $33,148 |
49 | Missouri | $32,226 |
50 | Oklahoma | $32,010 |
51 | Montana | $31,418 |
Source: National Education Association
