(The Center Square)–Washington state ranks highest in the nation for adjusted pay among elementary, middle and high school teachers, according to USAFacts, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to the data, kindergarten teachers in Washington earned the highest median salary in 2024, at $87,530. In the Evergreen State, elementary school teachers earned a median salary of $99,320, middle school teachers earned a median salary of $99,150, and high school teachers earned a median salary of $99,640.
The median represents the middle point of a salary distribution.
By comparison, the 2024 median annual wage for pre-K-12 teachers in the U.S. is $63,000, based on estimates from the BLS.
Vicki Murray, director of the Center for Education at the free-market Washington Policy Center think tank, told The Center Square she has no problem with paying teachers a decent salary for the important work they do. However, she said student outcomes in Washington have been declining, even as teacher pay keeps climbing.
“We only look at how much we’re putting in; we’re not looking at what we’re getting out, and that’s where we have a problem,” she elaborated. “Unfortunately, a National Council on Teacher Quality report that came out this spring showed that elementary math preparation for Washington teachers statewide was among the lowest in the country. Most of them are not doing well, and that’s a real problem.”
Another NCTQ report from June 2023 assessed the performance of state-level programs in training instructors on how to teach children to read.
“Washington state’s programs did not fare well, ranking among the worst in the nation in providing qualified teachers for public schools,” according to WPC at the time.
“So, one of the things we have to do is tie pay to performance, and I know that gets very controversial, but there are ways to do it,” Murray said. “Washington, D.C. had a great program where it was a combination of individual teacher bonus pay, but also group bonus pay. And it worked out very well, and teachers knew exactly what was expected of them, and it wasn’t just cash for test scores. I mean, you had to look at where children were and improvement over time, so it was multiple measures.”
Murray said the academic performance of children should be first and foremost.
“I have no problem paying them money, but we should expect some standards,” she said. “We’ve divorced pay from performance, and that’s where we get into trouble, with the adults getting paid six-figure salaries to do a job without good results. We would not tolerate that in any other aspect of our lives – from our healthcare providers, mechanics, from pilots … but somehow we seem to make excuses when it comes to our children’s education.”
The Center Square contacted the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for comment about teacher pay in Washington and student achievement.
“Washington state has a highly qualified and experienced educator workforce. In the 2023-24 school year, 72.8% of teachers held a master’s degree or higher, and the average certificated experience of our teachers was 13.2 years. Additionally, Washington has 11,000 National Board Certified Teachers, the third highest cohort in the nation,” Sammi Payne, management analyst with OSPI’s executive services, said in an email.
She continued: “Highly qualified and experienced educators deserve to be compensated well for their increasingly complex and critical work. Washington state has a low rate of teacher turnover compared to other states, which is central to our students’ success in school.”
During this year’s legislative sessions, House Republicans noted the contrast between teacher pay and student achievement.
“The state provides funding for over one million students at 295 school districts and 17 charter schools. School districts employ over 73,500 certificated instructors (including teachers), 46,000 classified employees, and over 5,000 administrators, making them one of the largest public employers in the state. Including state, local, and federal resources, school districts receive an average of $18,944 per student,” House Republicans observe on their education facts website.
Republicans say taxpayers aren’t getting enough bang for their buck.
“While the Legislature has spent years increasing funding to public schools, too many students have been left behind,” the website states. “Student performance on national test scores has been trending down over the last decade, and after extensive school closures, state test scores are at their lowest levels since the state assessment began. More than 60% of Washington students do not meet grade-level standards in math, and half do not meet grade-level standards in English language arts.”
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
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- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
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Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.