New York Earns ‘Top 5′ For Teachers on Best/Worst List

A snapshot of teachers across the United States in the 2023-2024 school year, as published by the National Education Association (NEA), indicated that there were more than 217,500 public school teachers in the state. That number places New York as employing the third-most teachers of any state.

When it comes to other important factors for teachers, though, where does New York rank on the best and worst list? A recent study published by WalletHub indicates that New York educators are currently among the best.

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WalletHub Analyzes 'Teacher-Friendliness' Across the United States

When comparing the 50 states (and the District of Columbia) on key indicators of 'teacher-friendliness,' WalletHub took a deep dive into important factors that impact the lives of teachers and help 'America's educators find the bet opportunities and teaching environments.' Compensation, tenure protections, state spending per student, school-system quality and turnover rates were among the main areas considered.

Teachers are more fairly compensated and better protected in some states than in others, though. The best states are less likely to face a revolving door of teacher turnover.

 

Our data set ranges from teachers’ income growth potential to the pupil-teacher ratio to public-school spending per student.

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New York's 'Top 5 Ranking' For Teachers

According to this year's study, the best states for teachers are as follows:

1. Virginia
2. Utah
3. Washington
4. New York
5. Illinois

Ranking second for 'Academic & Work Environment,' New York scored a total of 57.51 points, as compared to Virginia (#1) at 59.97.

New York dominated in areas such as highest salaries for teachers (first), projected teacher turnover (lowest), public school spending per student (highest)

NY did rank low with projected number of teachers per student (2032), coming in at number 47 out of 51.

Teachers in New York, do you agree with these findings? A full comprehensive look at the study, and 2025 findings can be accessed here.