Table 3

American Federation of Teachers (AFT)Estimated Average Teacher Salary
Adjusted by Cost of Living Index
 1996-97

Rank

State

Amount

1

Michigan..................................................

$50,437

2

Pennsylvania...........................................

47,136

3

New York...............................................

43,736

4

Connecticut.............................................

43,067

5

New Jersey............................................

43,025

6

Illinois.........................................................

42,314

7

Indiana.......................................................

42,040

8

Oregon.......................................................

41,334

9

Delaware.................................................

40,773

10

Ohio............................................................

40,689

11

Wisconsin.................................................

40,147

12

RHODE ISLAND

40,002

13

Minnesota................................................

39,598

14

Alaska.......................................................

39,312

15

Nevada......................................................

39,109

16

Massachusetts.......................................

38,788

17

Maryland..................................................

38,739

18

Georgia.....................................................

38,441

19

Tennessee................................................

38,100

20

Kentucky..................................................

38,099

21

West Virginia.........................................

37,525

22

California..................................................

37,269

23

Virginia......................................................

37,172

24

Vermont...................................................

36,816

25

Washington..............................................

36,558

26

Alabama...................................................

36,320

27

Iowa...........................................................

36,266

28

Florida........................................................

36,156

29

Texas..........................................................

36,065

30

South Carolina........................................

35,954

31

Kansas.......................................................

35,858

32

Colorado....................................................

35,485

33

Missouri....................................................

35,292

34

Arkansas..................................................

35,284

35

District of Columbia.............................

34,774

36

Maine........................................................

34,615

37

Nebraska..................................................

34,494

38

Oklahoma................................................

34,289

39

North Carolina.......................................

34,066

40

New Hampshire....................................

34,056

41

Arizona.....................................................

33,424

42

Idaho..........................................................

33,186

43

Utah............................................................

32,483

44

Wyoming..................................................

32,316

45

Mississippi................................................

31,413

46

Montana...................................................

31,365

47

Louisiana..................................................

31,246

48

New Mexico...........................................

30,818

49

South Dakota..........................................

30,125

50

North Dakota.........................................

29,617

51

Hawaii.......................................................

29,311

U.S. Average

$38,436

Source: American Federation of Teachers' Research
Department - Survey & Analysis of Salary
Trends - 1997, Table I-7