Lots of people dream about being teachers when they’re young, which is why we’ve created this list of the 25 best states for kindergarten teachers to help future (or current!) educators find a potential new home.
Most people remember their kindergarten teacher, as it’s the first experience we have in school (unless you were super cool and wanted to preschool, but I did not so this is just my humble perspective). I remember in kindergarten all we had to do was play with legos, write for maybe 30 minutes, and color inside the lines with crayon. We probably learned a few things, too, but I don’t remember. I only remember the fun things and the friends I had. Well, kind of.
Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock.com
For some, being a kindergarten teacher is pretty close to being a parent. There are instances where you kind of have to parent a bit, as you’re the disciplinarian for a few hours out of the day and this is the first time children are in a proper school environment. Kindergarten teachers are highly underrated and deserve a lot more appreciation for their contributions.
In 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said kindergarten teachers had a median annual wage of $54,550. The highest wage earned was $85,550, while the lowest was $36,190. It’s not much considering the amount of work this job is and the responsibility. Still, there’s a growth in the number of kindergarten teachers in America, which is good because it means that salary isn’t the sole factor in choosing a career path. If it is, check out our list of the 13 Highest Paying Countries for Teachers.
On that note, just because a state pays the highest wages to teachers doesn’t mean it’s the best state for them to live and work in. If you earn so much but end up spending it all on living expenses, then the salary doesn’t really matter much. The best state is the one where you have the opportunity to earn the most in comparison to living expenses. So in order to rank the states here, we did this based on three points: annual salary, which was sourced from BLS; cost of living index, which came from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC); and job availability, also sourced from BLS. Rankings from those points were averaged to allow us to come to our conclusions.
Without further ado, here are the 25 best states for kindergarten teachers:
25. Oregon
Annual salary: $56,150
Cost of living index: 115.6
Available jobs: 1,190
Oregon pays kindergarten teachers about average, but with a cost of living that is so high, it is nearly impossible to really sustain a comfortable life. There are over a thousand of teaching jobs available, which could still be good about the state. You might have to make some sacrifices to make the pay enough, though.
Poznyakov/Shutterstock.com
24. Colorado
Annual salary: $48,800
Cost of living index: 103.8
Available jobs: 3,590
The pay certainly does not look like much in comparison to some, but is much more sustainable than the one in Oregon, simply because the cost of living Colorado has is more reasonable. Another great thing about this state is the number of job openings for kindergarten teachers.
Photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com
23. Wisconsin
Annual salary: $50,510
Cost of living index: 96.8
Available jobs: 1,960
Wisconsin has an ideal cost of living index. Even when you don’t make much, if you only have to spend less for your living expenses, it will still make more sense as compared to getting a higher salary in an expensive state. The number of available jobs seems pretty good, too.
22. South Carolina
Annual salary: $51,250
Cost of living index: 99.2
Available jobs: 2,600
Like Wisconsin, South Carolina’s annual median salary for kindergarten teachers is lower than the national average, but it has a lot of job openings available. The cost of living is also one that is lower than most states, so it surely is one of the 25 best states for kindergarten teachers.
21. Oklahoma
Annual salary: $41,480
Cost of living index: 89.2
Available jobs: 2,480
Things seem to be generally affordable in Oklahoma, so even if the annual median salary for kindergarten teachers don’t look anywhere near the average, their very low cost of living is what drives teachers there. There are also lots of job openings available in Oklahoma.
20. Arkansas
Annual salary: $45,570
Cost of living index: 87.1
Available jobs: 1,960
Arkansas is one of the most affordable places to live in America. Even when the annual median wage doesn’t seem ideal, the cost of living makes perfect sense. With almost 2,000 available kindergarten teaching jobs available, you could say Arkansas is still a great place to be.
19. Missouri
Annual salary: $47,520
Cost of living index: 90.4
Available jobs: 2,350
Missouri’s cost of living is also one of the best ones in the country. The pay is far from the average, but when you balance it with your living expenses, it still is quite sustainable. There are also so many openings available, which could explain why the salary is somewhat on the lower range.
18. North Carolina
Annual Salary: $41,840
Cost of living index: 93.9
Available jobs: 4,500
You might have noticed how states with lower costs of living have made it to this list despite also offering among the lowest annual median salaries for kindergarten teachers. North Carolina is also one of the states in America offering the most available jobs for these professionals.
17. Indiana
Annual Salary: $46,710
Cost of living index: 89.5
Available jobs: 2,710
Indiana ranked higher than North Carolina on our list of best states for kindergarten teachers because its annual median salary for kindergarten teachers is higher and the state’s cost of living is lower. It might not be at the ideal salary range, but with so many openings you’ll at least have higher chances of getting hired.
Fritzphoto/Shutterstock.com
16. Washington
Annual Salary: $54,950
Cost of living index: 105.2
Available jobs: 4,380
Washington offers kindergarten teachers a salary that is pretty much on the average. There are also plenty of job openings available, which makes it more ideal for teachers. Although the cost of living is higher than the average, perhaps a few little sacrifices would be enough to make it work.
15. Kentucky
Annual Salary: $52,130
Cost of living index: 90.5
Available jobs: 2,400
Kentucky’s salary for kindergarten teachers is just a few notches lower than the national average. Another great thing about this state is its reasonable and sustainable cost of living. With this type of balance, you can definitely live a comfortable life.
Copyright: romrodinka / 123RF Stock Photo
14. Massachusetts
Annual Salary: $68,270
Cost of living index: 133.4
Available jobs: 3,490
Higher than the average, Massachusetts lures kindergarten teachers because of its high annual salary offering despite their high cost of living that is even higher than New York. They also have many job openings for kindergarten teachers, mainly because of their growing population.
13. Alaska
Annual Salary: $71,510
Cost of living index: 131.1
Available jobs: 1,020
Alaska holds the record for the highest paying state for kindergarten teachers. If you ever wonder why it did not land the top spot, or at least among the top 5, it’s simply because of their very expensive cost of living. Earning so much makes no sense if you have to spend a huge chunk of it in your living expenses. Apart from that, the demand is not high enough. Even so, we cannot deny the fact that the wages look lovely.
Yuliya Evstratenko/Shutterstock.com
12. Connecticut
Annual Salary: $71,260
Cost of living index: 127.7
Available jobs: 1,840
Like Alaska, Connecticut pays kindergarten teachers better than other states. In the same way, it did not land near the number one spot because of how expensive it is to sustain life in Connecticut. Also, the available jobs are not as bountiful as the other states we have on the list.
11. Minnesota
Annual Salary: $56,390
Cost of living index: 100.8
Available jobs: 3,060
Minnesota is a state where pretty much everything is on the average, at least in finances. Kindergarten teachers get paid with wages just about the average, and they also spend on average living expenses. It could be a good, sustainable balance. Also, there are over 3,000 openings available, so you can say the demand is quite high.
Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock.com
10. Florida
Annual Salary: $46,850
Cost of living index: 98.3
Available jobs: 11,220
Florida is one of the states with the highest demand of kindergarten teachers. An advantage of living in a state with lots of available jobs in line with your profession is you get a choice where to work, simply because there are so much of them. The cost of living is also low, so even when your pay is not so high, you get to sustain a decent life.
Lordn/Shutterstock.com
9. Pennsylvania
Annual Salary: $52,790
Cost of living index: 101.4
Available jobs: 5,450
Pennsylvania pays their kindergarten teachers a little closer to the average with living expenses also on the average. What’s even better is that there are many job openings available, so you don’t have to worry how long it will take for you to actually get a job. The demand seems high, so your chances of getting hired are high, too.
8. Tennessee
Annual Salary: $49,800
Cost of living index: 89.4
Available jobs: 3,200
We are continuing our list of best states for kindergarten teachers with Tennessee that is a consistently great place to live in, mainly because of how affordable the living expenses in the state are. You don’t have to worry about spending more than your budget, so a wage that’s almost $50,000 is still a good thing. There are also many jobs available for kindergarten teachers, which makes Tennessee even more ideal.
7. Illinois
Annual Salary: $53,560
Cost of living index: 94.6
Available jobs: 4,270
With a very high demand for kindergarten teachers, there is no doubt that Illinois is among the 25 best states for kindergarten teachers. The state offers a decent wage that is almost on the average, and also boasts of cheaper costs of living as compared to other American states. It looks so much like a great income-expenses balance.
David Pereiras/Shutterstock.com
6. Virginia
Annual Salary: $60,900
Cost of living index: 100.8
Available jobs: 4,790
Virginia, next on our list of best states for kindergarten teachers offers a median wage for kindergarten teachers that is higher than the average. The state also has an average cost of living index, which is just right for a family–since house rental rates and other living expenses do not have to be too expensive. You can also take advantage of their many job openings.
5. California
Annual Salary: $64,040
Cost of living index: 135.9
Available jobs: 18,460
At the moment, the Golden State has the most number of openings for kindergarten teaching jobs. They also pay teachers way above the national average, so you know it is obvious they passed two out of three criteria. The only downside is their high cost of living index. You would probably have to reduce the number of fancy dinners and shopping sprees to sustain a good life here. Even so, the fact remains that the demand is highest here, so it’s still worth it for sure.
Olesya Feketa/Shutterstock.com
4. New York
Annual Salary: $68,200
Cost of living index: 131
Available jobs: 9,640
New York, next on the list of best states for kindergarten teachers is among the states with the highest number of schools in America. That fact explains the high demand they have for kindergarten teachers, and perhaps even elementary and high school educators. They also have one of the most competitive salaries for them, so there is no doubt they belong in this list. The cost of living should not be surprising at all, we already know that it’s high.
3. Georgia
Annual Salary: $53,550
Cost of living index: 91.4
Available jobs: 5,920
Next in line on our list of best states for kindergarten teachers is Georgia that seems to be one of the best states to hit the balance between what you earn and what you spend. They offer kindergarten teachers a salary that is hovering around the national average, which is already a treat since not all states offer that much. As bonuses, Georgia also has low expense rates and high demand for kindergarten teachers.
2. Texas
Annual Salary: $51,160
Cost of living index: 90.7
Available jobs: 15,950
You only have to look at Texas’s stats to know it truly is among the best states for kindergarten teachers. Sure, its salary is a little far from the average of $56,000, but with a cost of living index that is 90.7? That’s almost the best you could get! Plus, look at how many job openings they have for kindergarten teachers.
1. Ohio
Annual Salary: $54,230
Cost of living index: 93.8
Available jobs: 6,790
Just a few steps and Ohio’s annual median wages for kindergarten teachers get to the national average. They also get to enjoy their salary more because of the low cost of living. Think extra desserts and funds for shopping. Ohio also has great demand for these professionals, so what else are you still waiting for?
These states all provide kindergarten teachers what they need in a place to work and live: a decent salary that pays the bills, expenses that do not go over the salary, and available jobs they could get. While there is no perfect state that could give you the highest wages with the lowest expenses and the most jobs, you could still make the most of these ones which at least get a balance of them all.
Poznyakov/Shutterstock.com
Which of the 25 best states for kindergarten teachers appeal to you the most?
