Teacher Salary Comparison
Education

Arizona vs California: Teacher Salary

California pays teachers a higher average salary than Arizona by $39,261.

Arizona flag
Arizona
AZ • West
$64,291
Average public school teacher salary, 2024-25 (NEA).
California flag
California
CA • West
Winner
$103,552
Average public school teacher salary, 2024-25 (NEA).

Visual Comparison

Arizona $64,291
California $103,552

Difference: $39,261 — California leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for teacher salary.

Arizona #30 · $64,291
California #1 · $103,552
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — Teacher Salary

#1 California flag California
$103,552
#2 New York flag New York
$98,655
#3 Washington flag Washington
$96,589
#4 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
$93,554
#5 Connecticut flag Connecticut
$89,593
#6 Maryland flag Maryland
$87,409
#7 Rhode Island flag Rhode Island
$85,772
#8 New Jersey flag New Jersey
$84,974
#9 Oregon flag Oregon
$81,657
#10 Alaska flag Alaska
$81,450
Selected states
#30 Arizona flag Arizona
$64,291

Arizona ranks 30th and California ranks 1st nationally for teacher salary.

What This Means

Arizona vs California: Teacher Salary in context

California has a teacher salary of $103,552, compared with $64,291 in Arizona, a gap of 61.1%. Average public school teacher salary, 2024-25 (NEA).

Arizona
$64,291
California
$103,552
Difference
$39,261

People Also Ask

Arizona vs California Teacher Salary — Common Questions

Q What is Arizona's teacher salary?

Arizona's teacher salary is $64,291.

Q What is California's teacher salary?

California's teacher salary is $103,552.

Q Which state has a higher teacher salary — Arizona or California?

California pays teachers a higher average salary than Arizona by $39,261.

Q How much more teacher salary does California have compared to Arizona?

$39,261.

More Comparisons: Arizona vs California

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Full Comparison

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.