The 25 worst-paying cities for high school teachers



High school teachers spend their workdays imploring teenagers to retain the basics of linear inequalities, cell anatomies and balancing chemical equations -- none of which exactly pique the interest of most pubescent adolescents.

Many Americans would shudder at the thought of conquering that task day in and day out. And yet, there are hundreds of U.S. cities where high school teachers make less than $47,464, the average salary for all teaching jobs in 2012-2013 (the latest year for which data were available), according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

StartClass recently highlighted the highest-paying cities in the U.S. for high school teachers.

Now, it's time to feature the U.S. cities where high school are paid the least. We compiled all the public data available on educators’ salaries and found the 25 cities where high school teachers received the lowest annual salaries in 2014, according to an update from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in spring 2015.

Teaching can often be a thankless job. In these cities, high school teachers receive even less financial appreciation than their peers.

#25. Jackson, MS


 

Average high school teacher salary: $43,610

1-year percent change: -0.2%

5-year percent change: -6.0%

#24. Winston-Salem, NC


 

Average high school teacher salary: $43,530

1-year percent change: -1.1%

5-year percent change: -8.7%

#23. Lakeland, FL


 

Average high school teacher salary: $43,510

1-year percent change: +1.4%

5-year percent change: N/A

#22. Panama City, FL


 

Average high school teacher salary: $43,440

1-year percent change: +0.8%

5-year percent change: N/A

#21. Oklahoma City, OK


 

Average high school teacher salary: $43,390

1-year percent change: -10.0%

5-year percent change: -10.6%

#20. Asheville, NC


 

Average high school teacher salary: $43,200

1-year percent change: -1.5%

5-year percent change: -12.5%

#19. Lawton, OK


 

Average high school teacher salary: $43,140

1-year percent change: +3.9%

5-year percent change: -1.0%

#18. Hattiesburg, MS


 

Average high school teacher salary: $42,970

1-year percent change: +0.4%

5-year percent change: -1.8%

#17. Tallahassee, FL


 

Average high school teacher salary: $42,890

1-year percent change: -7.6%

5-year percent change: -17.1%

#16. Lake Havasu City, AZ


 

Average high school teacher salary: $42,330

1-year percent change: +9.2%

5-year percent change: -3.8%

#15. Pocatello, ID


 

Average high school teacher salary: $42,300

1-year percent change: +1.2%

5-year percent change: -18.6%

#14. Prescott, AZ


 

Average high school teacher salary: $42,210

1-year percent change: +4.0%

5-year percent change: -0.7%

#13. Lynchburg, VA


 

Average high school teacher salary: $42,200

1-year percent change: -4.7%

5-year percent change: -12.6%

#12. Pine Bluff, AR


 

Average high school teacher salary: $42,050

1-year percent change: -16.8%

5-year percent change: -8.3%

#11. Sioux Falls, SD


 

Average high school teacher salary: $41,990

1-year percent change: +0.1%

5-year percent change: -1.3%

#10. Burlington, NC


 

Average high school teacher salary: $41,810

1-year percent change: +0.1%

5-year percent change: -8.2%

#9. St. Joseph, MO


 

Average high school teacher salary: $41,690

1-year percent change: +1.2%

5-year percent change: +1.1%

#8. Wilmington, NC


 

Average high school teacher salary: $41,390

1-year percent change: -0.9%

5-year percent change: -12.6%

#7. Fayetteville, NC


 

Average high school teacher salary: $40,880

1-year percent change: +1.9%

5-year percent change: -0.5%

#6. Tucson, AZ


 

Average high school teacher salary: $40,480

1-year percent change: +0.4%

5-year percent change: -6.5%

#5. Rocky Mount, NC


 

Average high school teacher salary: $40,270

1-year percent change: -7.8%

5-year percent change: -11.1%

#4. Hickory, NC


 

Average high school teacher salary: $40,210

1-year percent change: -3.6%

5-year percent change: -14.1%

#3. St. George, UT


 

Average high school teacher salary: $39,770

1-year percent change: -8.0%

5-year percent change: N/A

#2. Jefferson City, MO


 

Average high school teacher salary: $38,930

1-year percent change: -0.3%

5-year percent change: -11.5%

#1. Logan, UT


 

Average high school teacher salary: $38,710

1-year percent change: -0.3%

5-year percent change: -27.8%