MC, First, this site purports to use some mix of "NEA, job survey and private data" to come up with their numbers. In their own words, it's "tricky business". Second, the numbers aren't actual salaries, but are a "comfort index" which tries to give a weighted metric vis a vis cost of living(which can vary a lot within states). Hardly "hard data" to make a policy decision off of, but perhaps useful for rookie teachers looking for work, maybe.  Just having starting and average salaries doesn't tell you the whole story. Averages can be skewed by very  high/low earners, a more useful number is median salary. And again, it doesn't address the total compensation issue, or any other factors that are involved that make one state's situation different from anothers. Still waiting for that comprehensive study to be dug up. I think I'll be waiting a while.