People have told me that teaching is a noble career. I’ve also heard it said that if educators didn’t exist, none of the other professions would exist. One of the reasons I am a lifelong educator is that I have always agreed with these sentiments. However, I’ve always believed that many people who make these claims don’t completely believe what they’re saying.

Why? Because if they truly valued K-12 educators, they would fully finance education and pay educators what they are worth. Instead, many educators are paid enough to enjoy a middle-class lifestyle. However, I would argue that their labor is professional, and as such, they should be given a salary that permits them to live comfortably in the middle class.

Some might argue that teacher pay is adequate, but the data show otherwise. If you don’t believe me, look at the average teacher salary in 2017-2018. After you’ve seen them, consider the cost of living in each state. Would it allow a teacher to live in the middle class? Is it fair, given everything that educators undertake daily? Please share your ideas in the comments section.

The following is a ranking of the states:

1. New York City: [$83,584]
2. California: [$81,125]
3. Massachusetts: [$79,711]
4. District of Columbia: [$76,485]
5. Connecticut: [$73,112]
6. New Jersey: [$69,916]
7. Maryland: [$69,760]
8. Alaska: [$69,473]
9. Pennsylvania: [$67,397]
10. Illinois: [$66,777]
11. Rhode Island: [$66,757]
12. Oregon: [$63,142]
13. Michigan: [$62,701]
14. Delaware: [$60,483]
15. Wyoming: [$58,577]
16. Vermont: [$58,571]
17. Ohio: [$58,000]
18. New Hampshire: [$57,832]
19. Hawaii: [$57,866]
20. Nevada: [$57,811]
21. Minnesota: [$57,781]
22. Iowa: [$56,791]
23. Georgia: [$56,328]
24. Wisconsin: [$55,894]
25. Washington: [$55,174]
26. North Dakota: [$54,420]
27. Indiana: [$54,845]
28. Nebraska: [$53,472]
29. Texas: [$53,166]
30. Kentucky: [$52,951]
31. Montana: [$52,775]
32. Colorado: [$52,388]
33. Maine: [$51,664]
34. Virginia: [$51,264]
35. South Carolina: [$51,026]
36. Tennessee: [$50,900]
37. North Carolina: [$50,860]
38. Kansas: [$50,402]
39. Louisiana: [$50,255]
40. Alabama: [$50,238]
41. Idaho: [$49,224]
42. Missouri: [$49,207]
43. Arkansas: [$49,016]
44. South Dakota: [$47,943]
45. New Mexico: [$47,838]
46. Florida: [$47,720]
47. Arizona: [$47,745]
48. Utah: [$47,603]
49. Oklahoma: [$45,677]
50. West Virginia: [$45,641]
51. Mississippi: [$43,105]