Table 4

Estimated Average Salaries of
Instructional Staff in Public
Schools, 1996-97

Rank

State

Amount

1

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

$54,244

2

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

52,288

3

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

52,067

4

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

52,033

5

51,949

6

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

48,600

7

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

48,178

8

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

45,349

9

RHODE ISLAND

44,188

10

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

44,157

11

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

43,686

12

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

43,455

13

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

43,085

14

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

42,988

15

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

42,420

16

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

41,848

17

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

40,854

18

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

40,087

19

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

40,075

20

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

39,591

21

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

39,470

22

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

39,179

23

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

38,379

24

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

38,167

25

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

37,473

26

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

37,344

27

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

36,986

28

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

36,602

29

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

35,555

30

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

35,045

31

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

34,980

32

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

34,937

33

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

34,887

34

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

34,796

35

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

34,477

36

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

34,421

37

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

34,345

38

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

33,797

39

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

33,744

40

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

33,277

41

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

33,000

42

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

32,628

43

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

32,626

44

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

31,894

45

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

31,836

46

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

30,976

47

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

30,914

48

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

29,013

49

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

28,648

50

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

27,905

51

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

27,767

U.S. Average

$40,549

Source: National Education Association,
Rankings of the States - 1997, Table C-19.