Do teachers make good money?

Teachers in New York tend to be the highest paid with a median salary of $78,000 per year. According to CNN< this is around the same salary as a physician's assistant, a college agricultural sciences professor, or a veterinarian. That is also about $25,000 above the median salary of all workers in New York, which is approximately $50,000.

It is worth noting that teachers in New York are required to earn a master's degree within the first 5 years of teaching. New York is one of the few states with this requirement.

Teachers in Oklahoma are the lowest paid teachers, with a median salary of $39,000 per year. This is roughly the same as a carpenter, construction equipment operator, or correctional officer.

According to NEA Today, approximately 16% of all teachers have had to get a second job over the summer months and 20% have a second job year-round. The report also found that the younger the teacher's age, the more likely they are to have a second job. This is in part due to the fact that teachers spend their own money on supplies.

In 2018, the National Center of Education Statistics found that teachers were spending an average of $480 per year out of their own pockets for supplies for their students and classrooms. That is nearly double the $250 federal tax deduction available to teachers.

Teachers also work exceptionally long days. The average school day is only 7 hours long; however, the average teacher usually works 12 to 16 hours a day. Between lesson plans, grading papers, staff meetings, and required duties like chaperoning, most teachers are at school for much longer than the typical school day.

A 16-hour workday equates to an 80-hour workweek. For the average teacher, this drives their income to barely more than $9 per hour.