David May and Wendy K. Adams Get the Facts Out, Colorado School of Mines
D
id you know that teachers rate their lives better than all other occupation groups, trailing only physicians?
It’s true. In fact, we in the Get the Facts Out project, GettheFactsOut. org, have discovered a lot of other facts about teaching as a career, some of which might surprise you. Our mission is to share these facts so that people, who might want to become STEM teachers, have accurate information about the profession when making important career decisions.
“steps” (raises) that teachers are entitled to. This list shows salaries for teachers in years 1, 5, and 15 in four typical districts from around the country (in most places, the steps happen every year). Mid-career teachers (in their 15th year of teaching) usually make more than the median annual income in each local area. In addition to these base salaries, there are numerous opportunities for K-12 teachers to earn supplemental income. Unlike college professors, K-12 teachers get additional pay for activities outside their core teaching assignment. Teachers report earning between $2,000 and $15,000 per year for serving as a club sponsor (drama, science, honor societies, etc.) or coach (sports, chess, etc.), or for providing tutoring.
A teacher's life Consider the ladder to the right: On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time? Gallup asked this question of 172,000 U.S. workers and found that teachers rate their lives better than all other occupation groups, trailing only physicians. Why do you think teachers rate their lives so highly? We at GFO have been studying this question for the past four years. We have mined data from all over the U.S. and collected some of our own. What we have found is that teacher well-being stems from work-life balance, student and colleague relationships, and financial stability. Teachers work hard but their schedule is a healthy one that allows them time to spend with loved ones and rest. Compared to other jobs you can get with the same degree, teachers have more three- and four-day weekends and holiday breaks including spring break. A key to their work-life balance is that teachers have flexible summers that they can use to travel, learn, spend time with family and friends, and recharge.
How to find out teacher salaries in your part of the country: 1. Look for your area on GFO’s map: https://getthefactsout.org/ teacher-salary-data/ 2. If the data isn’t there, you can request that we find it for you at the link just below the map. 3. Can’t wait? You can often find it with an internet search for “teacher salary schedule” and the names of local school districts. Since teacher contracts are just for the school year (9-10 months), many teachers choose to get a summer job. We know teachers who work at national science labs, take students on guided tours to places like the Everglades, or work at a local zoo. Other teachers choose to use flexible summer schedules to enjoy time with their family and friends. Bachelor's degree
Let's talk salary Did you know the middle 50% of mid-career teacher salaries ranges between $60,000 and $100,000, nationally?
The Demand for Educators
Busting Myths about the STEM Teaching Profession
Master's degree
First year
5th year
5th year
15th year
Jordan School District (Provo, UT)
$53,000
$56,500
$60,87562,625
$71,375
Chicago Public Schools
$60,116
$65,917
$70,081$76,327
$106,752+
Long Beach Unified (California)
$59,439
$59,488
$65,803
$100,963
Westminster Public Schools (Denver, CO)
$52,820
$55,213 $61,295
$64,489 $78,312
$101,499
That’s mid-career salaries. The middle 50% of starting salaries for teachers with no experience and only an undergraduate degree range from $40,000 to $61,000. That is quite competitive with other jobs you can get with the same degree plus teaching has more negotiated breaks, including summer.
What about college teaching?
Most teachers get guaranteed, pre-determined raises every year. Every district has a “regular salary schedule” that outlines the
In the beginning years, secondary teachers and college teaching
Teaching college is a great career too, but it turns out that grade 7-12 teachers do as well as college teachers, and often better.
5 American Association for Employment in Education
