Where Do Montana Teacher Salaries Rank Compared To Other States?

It's National Teacher Appreciation Week.

A week where we celebrate those who've decided to take it upon themselves to see our children have the best education possible. Here in Montana, there are right around 8 thousand teachers for almost 110 thousand students. They say that some teach for a living and some were born to teach.

Not to sound like a grumpy old man, but things have changed since I was in school.  There are more students in class, more disruption, and teachers have more stress than ever before. Throw in the fact that many teachers are underpaid and overworked and it's not hard to see why so many areas across the country are looking for quality educators.

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In many ways, it's a thankless job. Sure, you have summers off and you get a break during holidays, but several Montana school districts are struggling, which means that the teachers are struggling as well. A recent article states that over half of the teachers in one Montana school are afraid for the safety regarding students. 

While Montana's Governor has made an effort to increase teachers' pay, Montana is still one of the most underpaid states according to data.

Where does Montana rank compared to other states when it comes to teachers' salaries?

According to KTLA Montana is ranked 42 out of the 50 states when it comes to teacher's pay.  The data suggests that the average teacher salary in the state is 55 thousand per year.

While the average salary might seem attractive to many Montanans when you add the cost of living here in The Treasure State mixed in with the cost of continuing education, supplies, and all of the other fees associated with the job, it's no surprise that many areas of the state are having issues finding folks to do the job.

Some will argue some teachers are not good at their jobs, and I don't doubt that, but many are and deserve our respect and a raise.