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.
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
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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.