Teacher pay varies dramatically by state. In many states they are underpaid, but there are a lot of states where pay is quite generous. I say this because I think it's good for people to not rule out becoming teachers, when there are good options out there if your location is flexible.
Edit: I will add, though, that teachers being underappreciated can happen anywhere. Even where pay is good.
In countries like China, teachers are extremely well respected even if we are talking about elementary or middle school. It's really just a reflection of our cultures.
I wanted a little context on that. First that I found was abs.goc.au which said,
Median personal income was $58,216, up 5.7% on 2021-22
So, that goes to support your point because if teachers are making more than double the median, that's important information.
I do have to ask, are teachers expected to pay their wages back into their work? What I mean is that here in the US you're expected to volunteer your time (sometimes it's mandatory to do so) so you're really working twice as much as officially stated with the same salary, but you're also expected to buy your own supplies for the classrooms, sometimes fund your own field trips even, a lot of a teacher's salary here goes right back into their work, making the meager pay even worse. Is the culture the same in Australia? Do teachers end up with very little institutional support and with a high expectation for what they'll reinvest in their job?
if teachers are making more than double the median, that's important information.
That figure seems a little low actually, median is closer to $74k for all workers and $90k for full time workers. But yes, $130k is still very good money. For comparison, doctors earn less than that for many years after graduating.
here in the US you're expected to volunteer your time (sometimes it's mandatory to do so)
Yes, there is some expectation to mark/grade work after class and prepare lessons at home. But in return they get close to 11 weeks of non-attendance per year compared to 4 weeks of annual leave in a typical job. They also get more days of paid sick leave (15 days) than most other jobs.
I do have to ask, are teachers expected to pay their wages back into their work?
you're also expected to buy your own supplies for the classrooms, sometimes fund your own field trips even
It always makes me laugh when I hear my sister say teachers are underpaid in New York. They're like the highest paid in the country lmao, and she will continually say it with a straight face. I get that you think they deserve more, But that doesn't mean they're underpaid.
But teachers in NY have to get a master's in order to teach, within 5 years of graduating, or you will be fired. Full stop. Which means those with student loans from undergrad are working teacher hours and going to grad school and earning more debt at the same time. That's why the pay is higher in NY- the requirements for certification are higher and the debt accrued to do so is higher.
Just because teachers in New York might be paid more than teachers in Oklahoma, it does not mean that they're not underpaid.
Teachers should be one of the highest paying careers in the USA. There is not another career that requires what teachers put in to their work. It's sickening that so many of them spend their earnings on tools for teaching their students.
Part of it is a supply issue, there are thousands of schools and teaching jobs needing to be filled. A doctor or engineer requires far more specialized education, and there are just less of them so jobs offer more money.
The whole teachers mold the whole future thing, it's a bit of rhetorical framing. I'm not saying it's unimportant. It's absolutely important, it's just it's overstated in a way that's used emotionally than it is logically.
There is not another career that requires what teachers put in to their work.
I get what you're trying to imply, but that's just not true. Teaching is done on a seasonal schedule, It matches much closer to the way humanity evolved in the first place. So in some ways it's easier I would say. I'm not saying it's easy over all though, I'm just saying that there are plenty of jobs that are extremely difficult socially, emotionally, physically, or otherwise.
I do agree though, they should get paid more. The whole education system in America needs major reform. Foundationally in my opinion. There are numerous things wrong with it.
A starting salary of 51k (Teach.org) a year is SOOOO generous. Nothing like getting your 4 year degree, excited to start educating young minds just to discover that the median home price in NY state is OVER 500K. Assuming you find a deal at just 400k, you're looking at over 3,300 per month mortgage. That means that you pay about 39k a year on a single family 2 bedroom home. Good thing you take home about 40k a year after taxes huh? Big baller
Outside of NYC, the median for the state is 85k+. The more rural parts of the state it can start around 55k and In those rural parts housing is far more affordable.
My main problem with the discussion about pay and teachers, is that it's almost always done from a moral standpoint. People make moral arguments and act as if that's definitive enough to push for change. People will just ignore that market labor conditions make great impact to any industry's salaries. Salary for a lot of occupations is not determined by a group of government officials who deem an appropriate salary band. People also ignore it whatever advantages working in education gives you. Working seasonally, usually great benefits and retirement, unionization, etc. Not every industry has that part of their compensation structure.
I think education should definitely be reformed in a major way, but it should be discussed honestly and cohesively. Not morally.
rule of thumb is everyone thinks they are underpaid, if you go on r/medicine the general consensus is doctors are underpaid, yes people making 500k thinks they deserve more money. It goes way further beyond that too, athletes thinks they are underpaid, current NBA champion new york knicks is in contract limbo because one of their best players think 200 million for 4 years is insulting when he could make 272, his willing to sacrifice but not that much.
Hell Billionaires are literally the greediest people on earth
It's the union, you're underpaid till you're overpaid. The union essentially takes from new teachers to give to the old teachers. It also make people not want to become teachers, giving older teachers more leverage. One of the many reasons why not everyone is so pro-union.
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u/NotNamedBort 8h ago
I don’t know about anyone else, but this doesn’t make me smile. It just makes me angry that teachers are so underpaid and underappreciated.