^^This is why it helps to know where you want to end up. I’ve heard that some states prefer not to pay for masters for beginning teachers… In SC it is more the norm and around here you are encouraged to get masters in the beginning of career. Teachers are also paid based on education/years of service but maybe there’s more of a difference in the two levels in other states. Here the minimum is only a couple of thousand different when starting with Masters over bachelors.