Best Cities for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where career/technical education teachers, secondary schools get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	WashingtonState	1.42	$101,180	$94,296	23%
2	ConnecticutState	1.41	$100,810	$93,690	19%
3	Columbus, OHMetro	1.37	$84,820	$90,717	18%
4	MassachusettsState	1.36	$98,020	$90,341	28%
5	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.35	$101,250	$89,207	30%
6	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.35	$102,180	$89,396	26%
7	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.34	$80,810	$88,607	18%
8	OhioState	1.32	$79,230	$87,644	16%
9	GeorgiaState	1.27	$78,760	$84,325	22%
10	MichiganState	1.27	$77,400	$83,857	17%
11	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.26	$81,090	$83,771	24%
12	Rhode IslandState	1.23	$81,820	$81,413	22%
13	IllinoisState	1.21	$77,950	$80,031	20%
14	WisconsinState	1.21	$74,310	$80,509	18%
15	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.21	$86,420	$80,167	25%
16	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.21	$96,250	$80,075	39%
17	DelawareState	1.18	$79,230	$78,446	21%
18	MaineState	1.18	$78,050	$78,206	20%
19	PennsylvaniaState	1.18	$75,760	$78,103	21%
20	South CarolinaState	1.18	$72,120	$78,391	21%
21	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.18	$77,950	$78,342	23%
22	VermontState	1.17	$79,220	$77,288	22%
23	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.17	$80,070	$77,362	24%
24	New JerseyState	1.16	$83,770	$76,994	26%
25	OregonState	1.15	$78,380	$76,097	24%
26	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.14	$79,710	$75,340	25%
27	AlaskaState	1.13	$78,130	$74,909	21%
28	CaliforniaState	1.10	$80,620	$72,827	34%
29	MinnesotaState	1.10	$71,650	$73,112	21%
30	VirginiaState	1.10	$75,580	$73,024	25%
31	New HampshireState	1.09	$76,320	$72,000	25%
32	New MexicoState	1.09	$66,750	$72,554	19%
33	UtahState	1.09	$72,380	$72,236	25%
34	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.09	$81,120	$71,915	30%
35	ArkansasState	1.08	$61,780	$71,587	17%
36	MarylandState	1.08	$78,320	$71,722	26%
37	New YorkState	1.07	$79,820	$70,951	28%
38	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.06	$81,950	$70,343	33%
39	ColoradoState	1.04	$72,750	$69,023	30%
40	KentuckyState	1.04	$61,130	$69,073	19%
41	NebraskaState	1.04	$63,180	$69,049	20%
42	West VirginiaState	1.04	$57,760	$68,599	17%
43	AlabamaState	1.03	$59,470	$68,278	19%
44	LouisianaState	1.03	$61,300	$68,036	21%
45	MississippiState	1.03	$57,910	$68,290	19%
46	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.03	$66,450	$68,364	29%
47	TennesseeState	1.02	$61,700	$67,432	24%
48	TexasState	1.02	$64,610	$67,584	26%
49	WyomingState	1.02	$62,570	$67,280	19%
50	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.02	$62,390	$67,815	25%
51	MissouriState	1.01	$59,300	$66,930	21%
52	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.01	$61,950	$66,756	25%
53	North DakotaState	1.00	$61,500	$66,415	19%
54	OklahomaState	1.00	$58,800	$66,441	20%
55	IowaState	0.98	$57,660	$64,641	20%
56	KansasState	0.98	$58,300	$64,778	21%
57	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.98	$62,450	$64,917	30%
58	NevadaState	0.97	$64,510	$64,381	27%
59	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.97	$63,320	$64,284	33%
60	IdahoState	0.95	$60,510	$62,705	24%
61	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.95	$60,140	$62,777	30%
62	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.95	$58,510	$63,254	24%
63	ArizonaState	0.94	$62,980	$62,418	29%
64	IndianaState	0.94	$56,390	$62,309	22%
65	North CarolinaState	0.94	$58,600	$62,076	27%
66	South DakotaState	0.93	$56,070	$61,751	21%
67	FloridaState	0.92	$62,140	$61,222	33%
68	MontanaState	0.86	$55,190	$57,251	25%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.86	$62,140	$57,272	39%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).