Why are West Virginia teachers on strike? Take a look at their salaries - CNN

Why are West Virginia teachers on strike? Take a look at their salaries

By Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 2215 GMT (0615 HKT) February 27, 2018

(CNN)When it comes to teacher salaries, West Virginia ranks 48th in the nation, according to the National Education Association.

And it's one of only five states where teacher wages actually went down between 2015 and 2016.

That would explain why nearly 20,000 teachers and about 13,000 school service personnel are battling the state's government for better benefits and higher pay.

So how much does a teacher in West Virginia make? These are numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Take a look for yourself.

The numbers above don't include the salaries of the state's career and technical education, special education or pre-school teachers. The difference between their pay and the national average is equally stark.

Keep in mind that the numbers above are teachers' base salary. They don't include deductions, such as Social Security or teacher retirement accounts.

Also, they also don't include deductions for health insurance. That's a big one, and it's one of the main issues the striking teachers are looking to address.

Every public school in West Virginia is closed

Every public school in West Virginia is closed

For now, only three other states rank lower than West Virginia for teacher salaries:

Oklahoma

Mississippi

South Dakota

(The District of Columbia is included in the state rankings, which is why they add up to 51.)