Florida is among those states with the lowest annual salaries for teachers, according to a new report by WalletHub.
The personal finance company ranked the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on "24 key measures of teacher-friendliness," which included "income growth potential, pupil-teacher ratios, and public-school spending per student."
"The states that make a teaching career the most rewarding are those that compensate educators well, invest heavily in educational resources, pass laws that improve school-system quality, and provide supportive conditions that lead to low turnover," said Chip Lupo an analyst at WalletHub.
Florida ranked 17th overall, according to the report, with an overall score of 48.57, an "opportunity and competition
rank" of 33 and an "academic and work environment" rank of 14. For contrast, Washington, which ranked first on the list, had an overall score of 61.60, an opportunity and competition rank of 1 and an academic and work environment rank of 11.
Florida ranked as one of the states with the lowest annual salaries for teachers, adjusted for cost of living — it was 49th, behind the District of Columbia at rank 47 and North Dakota at rank 48. Maine ranked 50th, and Hawaii ranked 51st.
Florida was also among those states with the highest projected teacher turnover. It ranked 49th, behind Colorado and Maryland, which tied for 47th, and ahead of Arizona and the District of Columbia, which tied for 50th.
Lowest annual salaries for teachers (adjusted for cost of living)
47. District of Columbia
48. North Dakota
49. Florida
50. Maine
51. Hawaii
Highest annual salaries for teachers (adjusted for cost of living)
1. New York
2. Washington
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. Pennsylvania
Highest projected teacher turnover
47. Colorado
47. Maryland
49. Florida
50. Arizona
50. District of Columbia
Lowest projected teacher turnover
1. New York
2. New Hampshire
3. Ohio
4. Kansas
5. Kentucky
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida ranks among lowest for teacher salaries, high for turnover
