Why Minnesota Is A Top State For Teachers Despite Some Hurdles

With a lot of opportunities and competitive pay, Minnesota once again ranks among the very best states in the country for teachers.

Education jobs are among the lowest-paying occupations to require a bachelor's degree, according to WalletHub, and a teacher's average salary in 2025 is actually $3,728 less than they made in 2009 when adjusted for inflation.

A+ FOR MINNESOTA 

However, Minnesota's teachers have it better than most when it comes to average salary, income growth potential and other factors as determined by WalletHub. In fact, Minnesota was ranked as the eighth-best state in the USA for teachers.

"Minnesota ranks 8th overall among the best states for teachers in 2025, thanks to its Top 10 showing in “Opportunities and Competition” (ranked 7th)," said WalletHub's Chip Lupo. "However, its “Academic and Work Environment” ranking is a bit lower (29th), which suggests that while pay and job prospects for teachers are relatively strong in Minnesota, there may still be challenges within the classroom environment or within the broader school system."

THE ARITHMATIC 

The average teacher pension is currently $27,014 in Minnesota, which ranks 18th in the country. Minnesota also does a great job of protecting teachers' ability to earn tenure via state laws, ranking sixth overall in that category.

"Despite having one of the most crucial jobs in America – educating the next generation – teachers are often underpaid and underappreciated," said WalletHub's Lupo. "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.”

“Virginia is the best state for teachers, boasting the highest income growth potential in the country. While Virginia ranks 14th in the nation for the average starting salary for teachers ($47,466) and 21st for the average teacher salary in general ($64,691), educators can end up seeing big gains throughout the course of their careers. In addition, Virginia offers tenure to teachers after just 3 years and has the fourth-best school system in the country.”

THE RANKINGS

Hawaii is the 'worst' place for teachers per WalletHub, followed by Montana, Maine, New Hampshire and South Dakota.

Virginia is followed in the top five by Utah, Washington, New York and Illinois as the 'best' states for teachers.