Teaching is part parenting that’s why it’s among the most difficult of professions. The job not only entails imparting knowledge to children and young adults but it also entails shaping up the values of the students. Discipline, confidence, leadership, endurance, respect…the list goes on and on on what teachers are responsible for in instilling in their students. Because of this, teachers should always be highly regarded. This type of career commands a lot of respect. But nowadays, we often find that careers with higher pays get the most admiration. Indeed teaching can bring a sense of fulfillment but can it always satisfy hungry mouths to feed?

As you would find on salary surveys for teaching jobs the top five states which offers the highest annual salary for teachers are: California, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey and New York where average annual salary ranges from $57,000+ to almost $60,000.

In the bottom five are Montana, Oklahoma, West Virginia, North Dakota and South Dakota with average annual salary ranges from $39,000+ to as low as $34,000– which is actually lower than the starting salary from other states.

But when it comes to pay being in line with the cost of living Illinois ranks number 1, while Delaware, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania rank 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in that order. On the other hand, the bottom states in this category are: Montana, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Hawaii ranks the lowest sitting at the 50th on the list.

A teaching profession can offer a pretty decent salary. However, like other professions, pay can greatly vary between states. Don’t get carried away, higher pay doesn’t always mean better. There are a lot of factors to consider and there are a handful of conditions that you should be wary about.

Get information on the cost of living, tax rates, housing costs, benefits, insurance…consider all these before you jump ship and move to another location. Increase in pay should also be noted especially if this is the career you want to pursue for years to come. On a ten-year tenure, Alaska has the lowest percentage with a 7.9 % increase while Mississippi offers the highest with a whopping 46.5%. Also, be aware that salary figures you’d find available on the Internet are just average pays, pay close attention to starting salaries as well especially if you’re a bit less tenured that others. Starting salaries are often $10,000 to $15,000 less compared with the average salaries surveyed.

Teaching doesn’t promise riches, but it can pay as much as other high paying professions (so don’t forget to update your resume and cover letter often). But like I’ve said, it doesn’t always have to be about the money. Conditions surrounding your job should always be carefully considered. And don’t you worry…teaching is not a dead-end job, there are promotions that you can always look forward to (like being a candidate for school administrator, provided you pass the necessary requirements to qualify) which can immensely increase your pay and stature in the future.

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 7th, 2010 at 11:35 am and is filed under Applying for a Job, Cover Letters, Job Search Tips, Promotions, Resume Help. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.