It's no secret that teaching isn't the most lucrative profession in the U.S. In fact, a 2011 study from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found that the U.S. ranked 22nd out of 27 countries when comparing the salaries of teachers to other college-educated workers.
Even within the country, teacher salaries can vary substantially. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the 2015 median salary for U.S. high school teachers was $57,200, but salaries range from over $80,000 a year in Anchorage, Alaska, to less than $40,000 in some Western cities.
Using 2016 data from the BLS, CareerTrends, a career research site by Graphiq, found the U.S. metro areas where high school teachers have the lowest average salary. Some metro areas are located in multiple states, but CareerTrends listed each area as part of the state where it is primarily based.
High school teachers in these metro areas all make at least 24 percent below the national average, although the teachers in the lowest-paying area make less than 50 percent the national average. Certain regions like the South and Mountain West are overrepresented in the ranking, while California and New England states like Massachusetts and Vermont are absent entirely. Keep in mind that teacher salaries can vary due to regional differences in the cost of living. For example, it's much cheaper to live in Logan, Utah, one of the lowest-paying places for teachers, than New York City, one of the highest.
Compiled by Alex Greer, CareerTrends.com
