Teacher Salary Comparison
Education

California vs Colorado: Teacher Salary

California pays teachers a higher average salary than Colorado by $30,771.

California flag
California
CA • West
Winner
$103,552
Average public school teacher salary, 2024-25 (NEA).
Colorado flag
Colorado
CO • West
$72,781
Average public school teacher salary, 2024-25 (NEA).

Visual Comparison

California $103,552
Colorado $72,781

Difference: $30,771 — California leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

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

California #1 · $103,552
Colorado #18 · $72,781
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
#18 Colorado flag Colorado
$72,781

California ranks 1st and Colorado ranks 18th nationally for teacher salary.

What This Means

California vs Colorado: Teacher Salary in context

California has a teacher salary of $103,552, compared with $72,781 in Colorado, a gap of 42.3%. Average public school teacher salary, 2024-25 (NEA).

California
$103,552
Colorado
$72,781
Difference
$30,771

People Also Ask

California vs Colorado Teacher Salary — Common Questions

Q What is California's teacher salary?

California's teacher salary is $103,552.

Q What is Colorado's teacher salary?

Colorado's teacher salary is $72,781.

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

California pays teachers a higher average salary than Colorado by $30,771.

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

$30,771.

More Comparisons: California vs Colorado

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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.