Worst States to Be a Teacher According to WalletHub

Personal finance site WalletHub detailed the list of the worst states to teach in during 2020.

A teacher teaches her class in Fairfax, Virginia, after schools reopened to some students in February. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

WalletHub ranked the areas depending on how they scored in two categories:

"Opportunity and competition," which includes how competitive salaries were, teacher pensions, and income growth.
"Academic and work environment," which includes the quality of the school system, how many students per teacher, and the rate of turnover.

While WalletHub included the District of Columbia on their ranking, Business Insider omitted the territory from the report below because DC is not a state. WalletHub ranked DC as the sixth worst area to teach in.

Here are the 15 worst states to be a teacher.

15. Colorado: Educators in the state led the nationwide teacher strike in 2018 alongside West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona.

In this April 25, 2019, photo, science teacher Sarah Ott speaks to her class about climate literacy in Dalton, Ga. Teachers across the country describe struggles finding trustworthy materials to help them teach their students about climate change. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)

Academic and work environment rank: 22

Opportunity and competition rank: 42

Source: Denver Post

14. Nevada: Teachers held a protest in 2019 calling for better education funding.

Academic and work environment rank: 47

Opportunity and competition rank: 18

Source: Associated Press

13. Rhode Island: More than 100 teachers protested in front of the Rhode Island Department of Education over the state's reopening protocol.

Academic and work environment rank: 25

Opportunity and competition rank: 41

Source: Providence Journal

12. Ohio: More than twice as many Ohio teachers submitted retirement applications in 2020 than during the same time last year.

Academic and work environment rank: 34

Opportunity and competition rank: 40

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

11. South Carolina: Teachers held a protest in 2019 calling for higher salaries.

Academic and work environment rank: 49

Opportunity and competition rank: 38

Source: CNN

10. Montana: Small, rural schools in the state reported a "crisis" in having too few teachers available.

Academic and work environment rank: 28

Opportunity and competition rank: 46

Source: Great Falls Tribune

9. Hawaii: The state ranked among the worst to work from home due to factors like internet access and cybersecurity threats.

Academic and work environment rank: 32

Opportunity and competition rank: 43

Source: WalletHub

8. Tennessee: One-third of teachers in the state would leave the profession for something with higher pay, a 2019 survey found.

Academic and work environment rank: 38

Opportunity and competition rank: 40

Source: Chalkbeat

7. Missouri: Teachers get paid less on average than those in eight neighboring states.

Academic and work environment rank: 39

Opportunity and competition rank: 42

Source: KY3

6. Arkansas: In August, teachers in the state held a demonstration to protest reopening schools.

Academic and work environment rank: 23

Opportunity and competition rank: 51

Source: THV11

5. Louisiana: It has the second worst school systems in the country, according to WalletHub.

Academic and work environment rank: 27

Opportunity and competition rank: 49

Source: WalletHub

4. Maine: The state with the lowest annual average starting salary for teachers (adjusted for cost of living).

Academic and work environment rank: 18

Opportunity and competition rank: 50

Source: WalletHub

3. Arizona: It has the highest pupil-to-teacher ratio in the country.

Academic and work environment rank: 46

Opportunity and competition rank: 48

Source: WalletHub

2. New Mexico: The report said it had the worst school systems in the country.

Academic and work environment rank: 50

Opportunity and competition rank: 47

Source: WalletHub

1. New Hampshire: Teachers in the state said people were sending them online messages threatening to stalk them to ensure they wear masks and stay at home prior to schools re-opening.

Academic and work environment rank: 9

Opportunity and competition rank: 51

Source: NBC

The 15 worst US states to be a teacher

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

The 15 worst US states to be a teacher

Personal finance site WalletHub detailed the list of the worst states to teach in during 2020.

15. Colorado: Educators in the state led the nationwide teacher strike in 2018 alongside West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona.

14. Nevada: Teachers held a protest in 2019 calling for better education funding.

13. Rhode Island: More than 100 teachers protested in front of the Rhode Island Department of Education over the state's reopening protocol.

12. Ohio: More than twice as many Ohio teachers submitted retirement applications in 2020 than during the same time last year.

11. South Carolina: Teachers held a protest in 2019 calling for higher salaries.

10. Montana: Small, rural schools in the state reported a "crisis" in having too few teachers available.

9. Hawaii: The state ranked among the worst to work from home due to factors like internet access and cybersecurity threats.

8. Tennessee: One-third of teachers in the state would leave the profession for something with higher pay, a 2019 survey found.

7. Missouri: Teachers get paid less on average than those in eight neighboring states.

6. Arkansas: In August, teachers in the state held a demonstration to protest reopening schools.

5. Louisiana: It has the second worst school systems in the country, according to WalletHub.

4. Maine: The state with the lowest annual average starting salary for teachers (adjusted for cost of living).

3. Arizona: It has the highest pupil-to-teacher ratio in the country.

2. New Mexico: The report said it had the worst school systems in the country.

1. New Hampshire: Teachers in the state said people were sending them online messages threatening to stalk them to ensure they wear masks and stay at home prior to schools re-opening.

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know