How about them apples?
Nevada's modest 1 percent decline in spending (also known as Nevada's budget "crisis" to those less informed) has resulted in a proposed budget that seeks to cut state worker pay 6 percent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau state worker pay in Nevada ranks 16th highest in the country. So, contrary to the howls of state workers, they're actually well paid.
The governor's proposed budget will also cut teacher salaries. How well paid are Nevada's teachers?
According to the National Education Association, the nation's largest teacher union, teacher pay in Nevada ranks 22nd overall. Not bad.
But some argue that the cost of living is higher in Nevada than elsewhere, so the comparison is unfair. It is true that a straight salary comparison is an apples-to-oranges affair, but the cost-of-living adjustment is just one part of the equation.
The John Locke Foundation recently released national rankings of teacher pay that were not only adjusted for costs of living, but included teacher pensions and teacher experience as well. This is important to include because teachers are paid extra based on the number of years they've worked and not how well they actually teach students. States with younger teachers will see a lower average pay than states with older teachers.
The John Locke Foundation found that when making an apples-to-apples comparison, Nevada's teacher pay turns out to be 17th best in the country.
Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Pension Contribution | Avg. Years of Experience | COL Index | Adjusted Compensation |
1 | Georgia | $53,270 | 9.28% | 12.9 | 0.909 | $72,393 |
2 | Illinois | $62,787 | 9.50% | 14.7 | 0.971 | $70,238 |
3 | Kentucky | $49,539 | 12.36% | 13.4 | 0.914 | $66,270 |
4 | Alabama | $48,906 | 8.17% | 12.8 | 0.917 | $65,723 |
5 | Arkansas | $47,472 | 14.00% | 13.6 | 0.984 | $64,907 |
6 | Delaware | $55,994 | 6.10% | 13.4 | 1.002 | $64,523 |
7 | Ohio | $54,925 | 13.00% | 15.2 | 0.935 | $63,683 |
8 | Michigan | $57,327 | 8.10% | 14.7 | 0.967 | $63,572 |
9 | Alaska | $58,491 | 21.00% | 12.6 | 1.307 | $63,125 |
10 | Texas | $46,179 | 6.58% | 12.6 | 0.909 | $62,663 |
11 | Rhode Island | $58,491 | 25.03% | 14.3 | 1.200 | $62,146 |
12 | Arizona | $47,937 | 9.10% | 11.9 | 1.066 | $60,120 |
13 | New York | $65,234 | 8.60% | 13.2 | 1.305 | $59,972 |
14 | North Carolina | $48,603 | 3.05% | 12.8 | 0.963 | $59,252 |
15 | Missouri | $44,712 | 12.00% | 13.7 | 0.910 | $58,574 |
16 | California | $66,986 | 10.27% | 13.5 | 1.365 | $58,452 |
17 | Nevada | $50,067 | 10.50% | 12.8 | 1.087 | $57,983 |
18 | New Mexico | $50,067 | 10.50% | 13.0 | 1.012 | $57,800 |
19 | Louisiana | $59,284 | 15.80% | 15.2 | 0.950 | $57,633 |
20 | Oregon | $52,950 | 16.97% | 14.0 | 1.136 | $56,789 |
21 | Colorado | $48,707 | 11.15% | 13.2 | 1.058 | $56,529 |
22 | Indiana | $49,198 | 19.80% | 16.5 | 0.929 | $56,412 |
23 | Maryland | $60,844 | 11.17% | 13.8 | 1.275 | $56,059 |
24 | Oklahoma | $45,702 | 7.05% | 14.4 | 0.888 | $55,792 |
25 | Pennsylvania | $56,906 | 6.46% | 15.7 | 1.015 | $55,438 |
26 | Virginia | $48,554 | 9.20% | 14.0 | 0.998 | $55,337 |
27 | Idaho | $45,439 | 10.39% | 14.3 | 0.927 | $55,179 |
28 | Utah | $42,335 | 14.22% | 13.3 | 0.962 | $55,112 |
29 | Mississippi | $44,498 | 11.30% | 14.2 | 0.923 | $55,103 |
30 | Connecticut | $63,976 | 15.28% | 15.7 | 1.245 | $55,021 |
31 | Massachusetts | $62,769 | 6.00% | 14.9 | 1.188 | $54,812 |
32 | Wisconsin | $50,424 | 5.60% | 14.9 | 0.952 | $54,740 |
33 | Tennessee | $46,278 | 6.42% | 15.1 | 0.881 | $53,985 |
34 | Florida | $48,126 | 9.85% | 14.1 | 1.027 | $53,238 |
35 | Wyoming | $55,696 | 5.57% | 15.9 | 1.031 | $52,304 |
36 | Washington | $51,970 | 4.74% | 14.6 | 1.040 | $52,277 |
37 | South Carolina | $47,704 | 8.50% | 15.2 | 0.960 | $51,510 |
38 | Minnesota | $51,938 | 9.00% | 15.3 | 1.019 | $51,437 |
39 | Kansas | $46,987 | 6.77% | 15.5 | 0.922 | $51,191 |
40 | Nebraska | $44,120 | 7.91% | 15.4 | 0.901 | $50,036 |
41 | New Jersey | $63,018 | 7.30% | 15.4 | 1.284 | $49,866 |
42 | Iowa | $48,969 | 5.75% | 17.3 | 0.937 | $46,585 |
43 | D.C. | $62,557 | 0.00% | 14.6 | 1.374 | $45,474 |
44 | Hawaii | $55,733 | 13.75% | 12.9 | 1.636 | $43,804 |
45 | West Virginia | $44,625 | 23.33% | 19.9 | 0.941 | $42,858 |
46 | New Hampshire | $48,934 | 5.81% | 15.1 | 1.188 | $42,089 |
47 | Montana | $44,426 | 7.58% | 16.1 | 1.061 | $40,800 |
48 | North Dakota | $41,354 | 7.75% | 17.2 | 0.949 | $39,981 |
49 | South Dakota | $38,017 | 7.75% | 17.2 | 0.949 | $39,835 |
50 | Vermont | $47,697 | 8.00% | 16.1 | 1.176 | $39,674 |
Median | $48,968 | 9.10% | 14.6 | 1.000 | $55,387 |
Source: http://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/spotlights/spotlight-367_teacherpay2009.pdf
