Pay by state · 43 states
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary Salary by State (2026)
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary earn the most in California at $105,820 a year and the least in South Dakota at $58,000 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $80,260. All 43 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $105,820California
- National median
- $80,260BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $58,000South Dakota
- States reporting
- 43of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $105,820 | $89,530 | $153,940 | 1,850 | $95,574 |
| 2 | MEMaine | $102,760 | $77,550 | $135,720 | 60 | $105,884 |
| 3 | VTVermont | $102,600 | $76,790 | $131,580 | 80 | $104,739 |
| 4 | HIHawaii | $101,010 | $79,680 | $128,170 | 220 | $91,868 |
| 5 | CTConnecticut | $100,360 | $75,480 | $134,310 | 350 | $96,863 |
| 6 | NJNew Jersey | $99,450 | $62,450 | $130,850 | 900 | $91,402 |
| 7 | MAMassachusetts | $98,360 | $64,060 | $133,890 | 890 | $93,006 |
| 8 | UTUtah | $95,410 | $73,990 | $123,470 | 60 | $96,506 |
| 9 | NYNew York | $92,050 | $74,980 | $122,150 | 1,700 | $85,294 |
| 10 | MIMichigan | $89,610 | $63,140 | $103,510 | 620 | $93,133 |
| 11 | VAVirginia | $85,310 | $62,130 | $105,800 | 620 | $84,378 |
| 12 | OROregon | $85,300 | $67,390 | $100,280 | 480 | $82,526 |
| 13 | NHNew Hampshire | $82,820 | $60,770 | $104,990 | 130 | $79,508 |
| 14 | RIRhode Island | $82,510 | $64,810 | $105,930 | 150 | $80,671 |
| 15 | WAWashington | $81,240 | $65,450 | $102,150 | 330 | $75,916 |
| 16 | INIndiana | $79,740 | $62,910 | $101,900 | 480 | $85,440 |
| 17 | MNMinnesota | $79,720 | $62,330 | $98,270 | 410 | $80,835 |
| 18 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $79,310 | $63,620 | $102,810 | 290 | $72,165 |
| 19 | WIWisconsin | $79,140 | $64,270 | $104,900 | 420 | $84,106 |
| 20 | AZArizona | $78,940 | $65,060 | $101,500 | 350 | $78,409 |
| 21 | MDMaryland | $78,360 | $61,820 | $102,780 | 480 | $74,658 |
| 22 | COColorado | $78,060 | $52,100 | $96,530 | 390 | $75,748 |
| 23 | ILIllinois | $77,720 | $58,680 | $98,030 | 1,080 | $77,753 |
| 24 | GAGeorgia | $77,570 | $54,330 | $94,940 | 280 | $80,556 |
| 25 | SCSouth Carolina | $77,230 | $61,980 | $84,290 | 250 | $82,380 |
| 26 | IAIowa | $77,180 | $61,010 | $95,810 | 260 | $87,942 |
| 27 | OHOhio | $77,010 | $60,180 | $98,710 | 780 | $83,008 |
| 28 | TXTexas | $76,700 | $60,460 | $96,340 | 1,760 | $79,026 |
| 29 | PAPennsylvania | $76,600 | $62,000 | $99,760 | 1,280 | $78,506 |
| 30 | NCNorth Carolina | $76,340 | $60,890 | $99,750 | 680 | $80,932 |
| 31 | LALouisiana | $76,310 | $63,500 | $105,480 | 70 | $86,512 |
| 32 | MOMissouri | $75,280 | $60,410 | $86,310 | 320 | $82,892 |
| 33 | NENebraska | $75,280 | $61,390 | $80,450 | 80 | $83,549 |
| 34 | ARArkansas | $74,100 | $68,920 | $75,570 | 60 | $85,234 |
| 35 | TNTennessee | $74,090 | $61,950 | $94,350 | 490 | $80,647 |
| 36 | NDNorth Dakota | $71,360 | $60,320 | $101,110 | N/A | $80,217 |
| 37 | KYKentucky | $65,580 | $47,130 | $83,120 | 320 | $72,738 |
| 38 | KSKansas | $65,410 | $48,670 | $81,960 | 190 | $72,623 |
| 39 | OKOklahoma | $64,840 | $50,770 | $81,280 | 150 | $73,814 |
| 40 | MSMississippi | $63,560 | $51,040 | $79,390 | 90 | $73,097 |
| 41 | FLFlorida | $63,330 | $59,430 | $80,180 | 460 | $61,239 |
| 42 | ALAlabama | $62,210 | $57,740 | $79,030 | 280 | $70,038 |
| 43 | SDSouth Dakota | $58,000 | $41,740 | $76,870 | 40 | $65,473 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $105,820, while Maine leads once prices are taken into account at $105,884.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary at $105,820 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Maine ($102,760) and Vermont ($102,600).
Which state pays Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary the least?
South Dakota reports the lowest median for Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary at $58,000 a year, $47,820 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Maine first at $105,884 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $102,760. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.