15 States Where Teachers Make More Than the Average American

Despite the importance of their jobs, teachers sometimes get the short end of the stick when it comes to pay. Although the average annual wage for teachers is $68,373, compared with the average annual wage of $61,900 for all other U.S. occupations, teacher pay varies widely from state to state.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, GOBankingRates compiled the average teacher salary in every state by analyzing the mean wages of elementary school, middle school and high school teachers. This salary then was pitted against the average wage for all other occupations in the state.

In three states -- West Virginia, South Dakota and Mississippi -- teachers earn less than an average of $50,000 per year, but it's much higher in some other locales. Read on to find out about the top 15 states where teachers earn more than the average American.

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