Quote:
Originally Posted by yournamehere
I'm getting a bit weary of the "underpaid" cliche when it comes to teachers.
My nephew just got a $40,000 per year job teaching high school his first year out of college. He has the whole summer off, every holiday imaginable, and the week between Christmas and New Years. Extrapolating that to a full 12-month year; he's making the equivalent of $53,333 annually. His first year out of college. In what universe is that 'underpaid?'.
|
Considering the number of hours your nephew will put in outside of the classroom, that's really not that much. Your nephew is better paid for a first year teacher than most places in the United States, but he will still only be making about $21/hr (before taxes) for someone with a college degree. Add in the ongoing cost of education--because every state has continuing education requirements for teachers that a lot of districts no longer pay for--and that number goes down. You have to consider his foregone wages as well--teaching does not pay well for the level of education it requires; in a different field, the pay may be better for a similar level of education.
By the way, I got these numbers with some help from my dad, who is a high school principal with 27 years of experience, and knows the ins and outs of teacher contracts and compensation.