Behind the teacher strikes is a big teacher pay gap: Teachers are paid less than other college graduates in every state
| State | Gap |
|---|---|
| AZ | -36.4% |
| NC | -35.5% |
| OK | -35.4% |
| CO | -35.1% |
| VA | -33.6% |
| MO | -33.2% |
| NM | -32.8% |
| UT | -32.1% |
| AL | -29.4% |
| GA | -29.0% |
| WA | -28.9% |
| TX | -28.9% |
| TN | -27.3% |
| NV | -26.5% |
| OR | -26.2% |
| FL | -25.7% |
| ID | -24.9% |
| KY | -24.6% |
| AR | -24.3% |
| NE | -24.3% |
| NH | -24.3% |
| US | -23.8% |
| LA | -23.5% |
| KS | -23.2% |
| IA | -23.0% |
| MI | -22.7% |
| DC | -22.3% |
| WI | -22.2% |
| SD | -22.1% |
| ME | -21.5% |
| MA | -21.3% |
| WV | -21.2% |
| IN | -21.0% |
| SC | -20.5% |
| IL | -19.8% |
| OH | -19.5% |
| HI | -19.1% |
| MS | -18.9% |
| MN | -18.1% |
| DE | -18.0% |
| CT | -16.7% |
| CA | -14.8% |
| MD | -14.4% |
| PA | -13.8% |
| MT | -13.1% |
| VT | -12.4% |
| NJ | -12.3% |
| ND | -11.0% |
| NY | -10.5% |
| AK | -5.4% |
| RI | -5.2% |
| WY | -3.1% |
Source: Adapted from Figure C in Sylvia Allegretto and Lawrence Mishel, The Teacher Pay Penalty Has Hit a New High, Economic Policy Institute, September 2018.
Source: Adapted from Figure C in Sylvia Allegretto and Lawrence Mishel, The Teacher Pay Penalty Has Hit a New High, Economic Policy Institute, September 2018. EPI analysis of pooled 2013–2017 Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data. Figure compares weekly wages of elementary, middle, and secondary public school teachers with weekly wages of all other workers with a college degree in a given state. Prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers, adult educators, and special education teachers are excluded.