Dive Brief:

• According to data collected from the National Center for Education Statistics by DePaul University Associate Vice President Jon Boeckenstedt, New York has the highest-paid public school teachers in the United States at an average income of $75,279.
• Rounding out the top five are Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, Connecticut and California.
• South Dakota has the nation's lowest paid teachers, with an average income of $39,580. Following South Dakota are Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina and West Virginia.

Dive Insight:

A quick look at the various years, going as far back as 1970, mapped out on Boeckenstedt's blog shows many of the same states at the high and low ends of the spectrum. Perhaps most astonishing (and disappointing) is this: The average income for U.S. public school teachers at large, which stands at $56,383 in 2013, has risen only $3,454 since 1970.