Rhode Island Ranked Best State To Be a Teacher, Says New Report

Rhode Island Ranked Best State To Be a Teacher, Says New Report

Rhode Island has been ranked the best state to be a teacher, according to 24/7 Wall St. 

The distinction comes after another ranking recently placed Rhode Island in the lower half of the country -- for best and worst school systems -- at 27.

The latest list looks at average teacher pay, teacher employment, “new teachers expected to qualify for a pension” - and more.

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"There are nearly 3.1 million teachers in the United States. Though they are in charge of educating future generations, teachers in primary, middle, and secondary schools are not very well paid," writes 24/7 Wall St. "The national average pay across these three levels of teaching is $64,524, and teachers in just 15 states make more than that a year."

They continue:

"Pay isn’t the only factor determining the quality and desirability of a teaching job. Class sizes, pensions, and general working conditions are all important when gauging what it’s like to be a teacher in a certain state. In most states, less than half of new teachers are expected to remain in the profession long enough to qualify for a pension — these are the states where teachers are paid the most and least."

1. Rhode Island

> Average teacher pay: $74,414 (7th highest)

> Student-teacher ratio: 12.2 to 1 (12th lowest)

> New teachers expected to qualify for pension: 59.0% (7th highest)

> Teacher employment: 10,610 (38.6% elementary, 15.7% middle, 45.6% high school)

> High school graduation rate: 84.0% (19th lowest)

"Rhode Island is the best state for public school teachers. While the NCTQ graded the state well overall for teacher quality. People in the teaching profession are paid well in the state, with an average annual salary of $74,414, the seventh highest in the country and the highest after adjusting to the cost of living.

Rhode Island public school teachers also benefit from one of the nation’s more coherent and generous retirement systems. About 59.0% of new teachers in Rhode Island will likely remain in the profession long enough to qualify for a pension benefit, the seventh highest share of all states."