Which states treat teachers the worst? See where Mississippi lands in the national rankings
It’s no secret that teachers have been going through it the last few years. However, it may surprise some educators to know that Mississippi ranks last on the list of best states for teachers, according to Forbes Magazine.
Overall, Mississippi came out pretty poorly in the metrics. To calculate the numbers, Forbes looked at retirement plans, public school enrollment fluctuation and forecasts, per-student spending, housing costs and average starting salaries versus average salaries.
How does Mississippi measure up?
While individual experiences vary across districts, these numbers landed Mississippi at the bottom.
Average starting salary: $43,549 — This is lower than the national average of $44,530, according to the National Education Association.
Average salary: $52,159 — The NEA reports the national average salary for teachers is $69,544.
Mississippi’s teacher retirement plan received an overall grade of F for providing inadequate retirement benefits.
Public school enrollment fluctuations from 2010-2021: 3.5% — The Mississippi Department of Education arrived at this number by calculating enrollment counts by grade level. The national average is 2%.
What makes one state better for teaching than another?
Education is not a monolithic system, so you can’t generalize about what all teachers want or don’t. However, it’s safe to say that it’s not exclusively about the pay.
Adjusting for inflation, teachers made an average of $3,644 less in 2023 than they did the previous year, according to WalletHub. This may indicate that teachers are considering other factors when it comes to their satisfaction with their jobs.
Pay rates — Obviously, states with higher average and starting salaries are more desirable and tend to rank better.
Cost of living — States with lower costs of living relative to pay rank higher. Mississippi ranks as the state with the lowest cost of living.
Student-to-teacher ratio — Smaller classrooms make everyone happy, so states with lower ratios are always viewed more favorably. Mississippi’s average student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, which is closely in line with the national average.
Per-student spending — While it may seem counterintuitive, especially to those who oppose higher taxes, the more money a district spends on a student the better. Mississippi is below the national average, with $12,390 spent on each student annually. This puts it as no. 45 in spending.
Turnover rates — These rates vary wildly across the state, but Mississippi’s average turnover rate is 23.3 a year, which is far higher than the national average of 10 to 11%.
Retirement and pension benefits — The Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) is regarded as having a few positive features, but overall is considered highly flawed and problematic.
How did other states compare to Mississippi?
The 10 best states for teachers are:
Washington
Utah
Minnesota
Virginia
Massachusetts
Maryland
North Dakota
Idaho
Oregon
Nebraska
The 10 worst states for teachers are:
50. Mississippi
49. West Virginia
48. Kentucky
47. New Mexico
46. Missouri
45.Louisiana
44. Arkansas
43. Ohio
42. South Carolina
41. Michigan
40. Nevada
Are these numbers surprising to you? Sound off in the comments, or you can email me or find me on Instagram.
