With the Salaries of teachers there is a large gap in the United States. According to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Salary lists Alaska has the highest average annual salary for high school teachers in the country at 85,420 $. This is more than double what their colleagues earn in Oklahoma, where the average annual salary is only 41,880 $. Salaries are worst in the southern US, where Louisiana (50,700 $), Alabama (49,790 $) and Mississippi (46,370 $) are in the bottom 10 along with Oklahoma.

In some cases there are even Salary differences of up toto 25,000 $ between neighbouring states. For example, high school teachers in California earn an average of 77,390 $, while their neighbours in Arizona receive only 48,050 $. The poor pay levels and lack of education funding in Oklahoma prompted teachers to go on a nine-day strike last month, demanding a $10,000 pay rise over three years. The situation shows little sign of improving.

Each year, a quarter of Oklahoma City's teachers leave their jobs, while the state struggles to find and retain qualified replacements.