It's good to be a teacher in New Jersey. Personal finance website WalletHub has just released its 2019 list of "Best and Worst States For Teachers." The Garden State fared well this year.

Looking at key metrics across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., such as teacher's income growth potential, pupil-teacher ratio and teacher safety, New Jersey is the second best state for teachers.

WalleHub analyst Jill Gonzalez said New Jersey did great across the board, but especially when it comes to current opportunity and competition as well as academic and work environment. Things like salaries have really been up to par in the Garden State and she said year after year, the state has one of best school systems in the country.

New Jersey has the second-best school system, behind Massachusetts. Gonzalez said the two states have gone back and forth for the top spot for years. That means great test scores, high graduation rates and low drop-out rates, which bode well for teachers and their salaries.

New Jersey also has one of the best starting salary for teachers, said Gonzalez. It does have the 4th highest public school spending per student, which she said is good because that means less money is taken out of a teacher's pocket for resources needed in the classroom.

There is more competition in New Jersey for teachers than in some rural states that might have shortages, said Gonzalez. So while states don't necessarily want to improve on teacher shortages, she said it's good for teachers who want to get into the industry to know where the shortages may be.

The No. 1 state for teachers in 2019 is North Dakota followed by New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Connecticut. The worst state to be a teacher in is Arizona. New Hampshire is second followed by Hawaii, Louisiana and West Virginia. New York ranked 10th on the list.

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