The teacher weekly wage penalty is greater than 25% in 25 states: Regression-adjusted estimates by state, pooled CPS data for 2020–2025
| State | Teacher weekly pay penalty |
|---|---|
| Colorado | -40.7% |
| Missouri | -35.9% |
| Arizona | -34.6% |
| Kentucky | -34.3% |
| New Hampshire | -33.8% |
| Alabama | -33.7% |
| Oklahoma | -33.4% |
| Minnesota | -33.1% |
| Virginia | -31.3% |
| Oregon | -30.2% |
| Washington | -30.0% |
| Tennessee | -29.8% |
| Louisiana | -29.7% |
| Kansas | -29.2% |
| Utah | -29.0% |
| Michigan | -28.7% |
| Georgia | -28.2% |
| Nebraska | -27.5% |
| Connecticut | -27.5% |
| Idaho | -27.2% |
| Montana | -25.9% |
| Indiana | -25.7% |
| Wisconsin | -25.3% |
| Arkansas | -25.2% |
| Illinois | -25.0% |
| North Carolina | -24.9% |
| Maryland | -24.8% |
| Texas | -24.6% |
| District of Columbia | -24.5% |
| Florida | -24.2% |
| Massachusetts | -23.0% |
| West Virginia | -22.1% |
| Maine | -21.0% |
| Nevada | -20.9% |
| Pennsylvania | -20.4% |
| Iowa | -20.2% |
| Hawaii | -20.2% |
| Ohio | -20.1% |
| North Dakota | -20.0% |
| California | -19.6% |
| Alaska | -18.9% |
| South Carolina | -18.4% |
| Delaware | -18.3% |
| New York | -17.7% |
| New Mexico | -17.4% |
| Mississippi | -14.4% |
| New Jersey | -14.0% |
| South Dakota | -13.1% |
| Wyoming | -13.1% |
| Vermont | -12.3% |
| Rhode Island | -10.4% |
Notes: Figure shows state-specific regression-adjusted weekly wage penalties for public school teachers (elementary, middle, and secondary) relative to their college-educated, nonteaching peers. See Allegretto and Mishel 2019, Appendix A, for more details on data and methodology.
Source: Author’s analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data accessed via the EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 2026.6.10 (EPI 2026a), https://microdata.epi.org.