Why Montana Is One of the Hardest States to Be a Teacher

Teaching isn’t an easy profession. These days teaching is more of a challenge with phones being allowed in schools and classrooms. It’s not so simple for teachers to get and hold the attention of students. 

I have family and friends who are teachers. They have spent their entire careers teaching kids. I even know a few people who have become principals. My wife has spent her career teaching teachers across the country. I am aware of a lot of the challenges.  

I have a lot of respect for people who are educating our kids. Not only is teaching difficult, but teaching in Montana is a special kind of challenge.  

According to WalletHub, out of the entire country, including Washington D.C., Montana ranks as one of the worst states to be a teacher. The only state ranking lower than Montana is Hawaii.  

Why Montana Teachers Struggle With Salaries

Teachers' salaries haven’t kept up with the cost of living in Montana. According to the report teachers are making $3,728 a year less in 2025 than they did 16 years ago, when adjusted for inflation.  

Educational jobs are some of the lowest-paying jobs that require at least a bachelor's degree.  

WalletHub looked at 24 key metrics to determine their rankings, from teachers' growth potential to student-teacher ratios.  

Montana ranks last for the average starting salary for teachers, when adjusted for inflation, and we rank 45th for average teachers' salaries, again, adjusted for inflation.

The Best States for Teaching Careers 

When it comes to the best states for teachers, Virginia, Utah, Washington, New York, and Illinois are at the top.  

Where Montana Schools Still Excel

Montana does have one area where we rank higher than others, and that’s the quality of the school system, which is good.  

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For Montana to improve its ranking, it’s going to have to pay its teachers more. Until that happens, we will continue to be ranked towards the bottom in the nation.