Virginia and D.C. have the worst salaries for teachers when compared to other professions, according to a new study.
The study by Business.org found that teachers in Virginia made $53,933 on average for 2019-2020 — 10.4% less than other occupations in the state, WRIC-TV reported.
D.C. is even worse, with its average teaching salary ($79,350) now 16.8% less than other professions.
The study ranked all 50 states and the District based on the difference between teachers’ wages and wages for all other occupations. Aside from Virginia and D.C., only five other states pay teachers less than the overall average statewide salary, and the next-closest — Colorado — had teachers only 5.9% behind the rest of the state.
By comparison, the average teacher salary nationwide is 13% higher than the average for all other occupations, the study found. Pennsylvania leads the country, paying teachers 30.2% better than other jobs.
Maryland tied for 15th with Wisconsin, with its average teaching salary of $73,444 outpacing other occupations by 15.5%.
