Here's how much every US state pays its teachers and spends on a single student

• Teachers have the incredibly important job of educating the next generation of Americans.
• The average salary for a public school teacher nationwide was $60,483 during the 2017-2018 academic year, the most recent for which data is available.
• Mississippi lands at the bottom of the list with an average salary of $43,107, while New York tops it with $83,585.
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Teachers have the incredibly important job of educating the next generation of Americans, but how much they're paid varies widely across the country.

Nationwide, the average public school teacher salary for the 2017-2018 school year was $60,483, according to data from the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. While the nominal teacher salary has increased over the last couple decades, when adjusted for inflation, average salary has dropped over time — about 1.3% lower than the $61,275 (in 2017-18 dollars) average in the 1999-2000 school year.

While many teachers earn a solid middle-class wage, the job comes with unique challenges. Many teachers across the US end up spending a not-insignificant amount of their take-home pay on school supplies for their students and classrooms.

Read more: Teachers reveal the 7 things they wish they could tell parents — but can't

Below, find out how much public-school teachers made during the 2017-18 school year (the most recent year for which data is available in each state) according to the NCES, as well as the amount spent per public-school student during the 2017-18 fiscal year in each state, according to the Census Bureau.

Keep reading to see how teacher salaries compare around the US.

SEE ALSO: 31 teachers across the US reveal their exact salary, and how much of it goes to paying for school supplies like chalk and pencils

DON'T MISS: THEN AND NOW: Here are all the ways being a public-school teacher has changed in the last 50 years

51. Mississippi

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $43,107

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -7.7%

State spending per student: $8,771

50. West Virginia

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $45,642

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -11.0%

State spending per student: $11,554

49. Oklahoma

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $45,678

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -0.4%

State spending per student: $7,940

48. Utah

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $47,604

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -7.1%

State spending per student: $7,179

47. Florida

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $47,721

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -11.3%

State spending per student: $9,075

46. Arizona

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $47,746

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -11.7%

State spending per student: $8,003

45. New Mexico

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $47,839

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 0.3%

State spending per student: $9,881

44. South Dakota

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $47,944

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 12.5%

State spending per student: $9,939

43. Arkansas

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $49,017

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 0.2%

State spending per student: $9,967

42. Missouri

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $49,208

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -5.8%

State spending per student: $10,589

41. Idaho

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $49,225

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -5.5%

State spending per student: $7,486

40. Alabama

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $50,239

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -6.6%

State spending per student: $9,511

39. Louisiana

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $50,256

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 3.6%

State spending per student: $11,199

38. Kansas

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $50,403

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -1.7%

State spending per student: $10,961

37. North Carolina

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $50,861

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -11.9%

State spending per student: $9,072

36. Tennessee

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $50,900

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -4.4%

State spending per student: $9,184

35. South Carolina

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $51,027

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -3.5%

State spending per student: $10,590

34. Virginia

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $51,265

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -9.7%

State spending per student: $11,886

33. Maine

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $51,663

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -0.9%

State spending per student: $13,690

32. Colorado

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $52,389

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -6.3%

State spending per student: $9,809

31. Montana

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $52,776

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 12.1%

State spending per student: $11,443

30. Kentucky

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $52,952

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -0.7%

State spending per student: $10,121

29. Texas

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $53,167

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -3.4%

State spending per student: $9,375

28. Nebraska

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $53,473

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 9.8%

State spending per student: $12,579

27. North Dakota

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $54,421

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 24.3%

State spending per student: $13,760

26. Indiana

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $54,846

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -10.6%

State spending per student: $10,045

25. Washington

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $55,175

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -8.3%

State spending per student: $11,989

24. Wisconsin

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $55,895

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -7.3%

State spending per student: $11,968

23. Georgia

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $56,329

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -6.3%

State spending per student: $10,205

22. Iowa

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $56,790

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 8.6%

State spending per student: $11,461

21. Minnesota

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $57,782

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -1.0%

State spending per student: $12,647

20. Nevada

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $57,812

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 0.1%

State spending per student: $9,320

19. New Hampshire

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $57,833

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 4.6%

State spending per student: $15,683

18. Hawaii

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $57,866

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -2.7%

State spending per student: $14,322

17. Ohio

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $58,000

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -4.5%

State spending per student: $12,645

16. Vermont

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $58,527

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 5.8%

State spending per student: $18,290

15. Wyoming

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $58,578

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 17.1%

State spending per student: $16,537

14. Delaware

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $60,484

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -7.1%

State spending per student: $15,302

13. Michigan

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $62,702

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -12.8%

State spending per student: $11,907

12. Oregon

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $63,143

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 1.8%

State spending per student: $11,264

11. Illinois

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $65,776

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -3.5%

State spending per student: $15,337

10. Rhode Island

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $66,758

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -3.2%

State spending per student: $15,943

9. Pennsylvania

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $67,398

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -4.8%

State spending per student: $15,798

8. Alaska

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $69,474

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 2.0%

State spending per student: $17,838

7. Maryland

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $69,761

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 8.1%

State spending per student: $14,848

6. New Jersey

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $69,917

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -8.3%

State spending per student: $18,920

5. Connecticut

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $73,113

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: -3.7%

State spending per student: $19,322

4. Washington, DC

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $76,486

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 10.9%

State spending per student: $21,974

3. Massachusetts

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $79,710

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 16.8%

State spending per student: $16,197

2. California

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $81,126

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 16.1%

State spending per student: $12,143

1. New York

2017-2018 average teacher salary: $83,585

Change in adjusted salary since 1999-2000: 11.8%

State spending per student: $23,091