ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) — Teaching can be an extremely rewarding career, considering the critical role educators play in shaping young minds. Unfortunately, many teachers find themselves overworked and underpaid.

Education jobs are among the lowest-paying occupations that require a Bachelor’s Degree, and teacher salaries constantly fail to keep up with inflation. Meanwhile, the Every Student Succeeds Act demands growth in student performance. On top of all that, teachers continue to deal with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the high amount of learning loss it caused over the past two years.

Teachers are more fairly compensated in some states than in others, though. According to WalletHub, the most teacher-friendly state in 2022 is New York.

Teacher-Friendliness of New York (1=Best; 25=Average):

• No. 10 – Avg. Starting Salary for Teachers (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
• No. 1 – Avg. Salary for Teachers (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
• No. 17 – Quality of School System
• No. 7 – Pupil-Teacher Ratio
• No. 1 – Public-School Spending per Student
• No. 5 – Teachers’ Income Growth Potential
• No. 9 – 10-Year Change in Teacher Salaries
• No. 1 – Existence of Digital Learning Plan

Not far behind was Massachusetts, which ranked eighth in the WalletHub Study. The Bay State saw high marks in the academic and work environment category, which could save it from a revolving door of teacher turnover in the coming years.

Best states for teachers: