Anyone considering a career as a teacher should consider coming to the Hoosier State. That’s according to a study released this week ranking the best and worst states for teachers.
Indiana finished 10th overall in the rankings released by WalletHub. The personal finance website based its findings on 24 data points from various sources, including the U.S Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Department of Education, TeacherPensions.org and the National Council on Teacher Quality.
The study found Indiana ranked 14th nationally for the average starting salary, with new teachers earning $44,735. In addition, the state was 11th best for income growth potential, and researchers project Indiana to employ 38.02 teachers per 1,000 students by 2030. That makes it the 11th-most competitive market for teachers.
Reaching and maintaining tenure also helped Indiana score high marks. The state ranked eighth with Indiana teachers becoming tenured in year three, and state laws protecting teachers’ tenure were sixth-best nationally, according to WalletHub.
The salary data from WalletHub varies somewhat from a study released by the National Education Association in April. The teachers’ union reported Indiana’s average starting salary for teachers was $42,735 for the 2022-23 school year. That was 28th nationally, but the 4.4% increase from the 2021-22 wage was 18th highest nationally.
WalletHub noted its average starting salaries for each state were adjusted for cost of living, using indices for cities and metropolitan areas in each state to come up with its figures.
Teacher pay is an issue that has come up on the campaign trail for the Indiana gubernatorial election. Last month, Jennifer McCormick, the Democratic candidate and former state schools superintendent, called for Hoosier educators to make at least $60,000. That would be more than 5% higher than the 22-23 average salary for all Indiana teachers, $57,105, according to the NEA. It also would be near what the association considers the minimum living wage for the state - based on one adult living modestly with one child.
U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, the Republican candidate, lists increasing teachers’ base salaries on his campaign website, but it does not go into detail about how much. Braun’s platform also calls on the state to ensure teachers have access to “professional” benefits, like new parent leave, and bolster their health plan options.
Regionally, only Illinois was a better state for teachers than Indiana in WalletHub’s study. That state finished sixth in the rankings, with Kentucky coming in 21st, Michigan 28th and Ohio 32nd.
New York, Washington state and Virginia were the top three states in the study, while Maine was considered the worst state, followed by Hawaii and New Hampshire.
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