A new study found that Iowa teacher salaries go farther in this state due to a lower cost of living. In 2016, Iowa teachers made just over $54,000 but it spent more like $60,000 because of the low cost of living.

Teachers in states like Arizona, West Virginia, and Oklahoma have either protested low pay or have threatened to. All three of those states ranked near the bottom in the cost of living, while Iowa ranked in the top ten at number eight. The study was done by NPR and the nonprofit Edbuild. It looked at several factors including housing costs and prices for food across the nation, in analyzing teacher pay.

Midwestern states faired very well based on the price of living. Michigan (1), Ohio (3), Iowa (8), Illinois (9), Minnesota (11), and Wisconsin (14) ranked high for teacher pay. Here in Iowa, governor Kim Reynolds recently signed into law a 1% increase in funding for schools next year. That will result in around $32 million in additional funding for the 2018-2019 school year.

You can see all the results of the study HERE.

 

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