Can you live on a teacher's salary?

[Stayseeliz]

Just curious..We live in South Carolina..DH has a bachelors in liberal arts and almost minored in history. Master in divinity..He wants to teach high school or middle school history. He's going to have to take a couple of courses but I think he can get certified in a couple of years..But can you live on a teacher's salary? I'm scared it's going to be next to nothing..He makes about $35k now but that's working 10-15 hours of over time a year..He can teach summer school and stuff for extra money right? The only debt we have is $8k in student loans for me and our house so were pretty good there..We're just trying to think through the logistics on all of this..I'm excited for him but nervous!!! He can't wait to get started on something soon!!!

[bu's mama]

Yes you can! But you have to decide what is important. Both my stbx & I are both teachers & when I had dd, I stayed home with her. We bought a house (on pricey LI) with his one salary. It's definitely tight, but we've done ok. We do without a lot of extras, and I've had to plan very carefully, but it was worth it for me to stay home with dd.

We're getting divorced & I'm going back to get my degree to be a school librarian...pretty much all the same things as teachers as far as contract & wages, so again it'll be on one salary.

I'd suggest calling up some of your local school districts or your local public library & ask for a current salary scale. It's public information so they have to give it to you. You can also take a look at the current contract, again publiic info. It should give you a good idea of what the pay is like. Most teacher contracts offer a 1-3%/year COLA raise each year as well.

I have to run, but ask me more questions if you want.

[Llyra]

We do. DH is a teacher, and we live in NJ where the cost of living is very high, and we get along okay. I only make about $2000 in a whole year, so we really are living on just DH's salary, as we have next to nothing saved. We just barely manage to put away enough during the year to get us through the summer, though, and we're not getting ahead at all. If I had debt, I'd never make it. DH will look for summer work, and that will help some.

I definitely am not living the same lifestyle I led while I was still working, but at least teaching comes with good security and benefits, so we don't have to worry about catastrophic expenses like healthcare.

[Sharlla]

I would love to live on a teacher's salary, unfortunately DH is not a teacher

[LEAW]

Yep, it can be done. Remember also that teacher salaries climb pretty fast the first 5-10 years and then level off a bit... in the district where I taught, I got about $3k a year each year, and then at 10 yrs you got a raise every 5 years instead... it was more than $3k, but not much, and across 5 years..

Anyhow, the guy who shared my classroom, he has been teaching a bit longer, but they bought a house in a nice suburb, then bought the house next door that shares the driveway, and it's their rental property. SO if they were able to live on his salary and still find a way to buy a 2nd house, it's doable!

His wife homeschools their 3 kids, and is a LMT, but only works once in a while when he is home, he also coaches a sports team at school, but the stipend for coaching comes out to $3/hr when he's done!

Summer school, that's entirely up to the school district senority system. It was a job "reserved" for teachers at least 15 yrs in the system. There is also additional pay for things like kids on home instruction (you apply in the special ed dept) and you tutor 1 hr/day after school for a child who is too sick/disabled/disruptive to be in school.

Some districts give hiring bonuses to special ed, ESL, etc. (mine didn't).

Also, my district only allowed teachers to get paid ALL YEAR, I wasn't able to take an option to get paid only while teaching and then take a 2nd job for summer - many teachers tend bar or do other things during the summer. So they essentially force you to budget so you have salary all year. That was a really good thing for many of the teachers who would have otherwise gone through all their $ and been broke all summer

Other things my coworker did.. always pack lunch, shop at thrift stores (teacher clothing = dockers and polo shirts, etc), drive older cars, he often rode his bike 10 miles to work, etc.

[nonnymoose]

One thing you might look into is SC's high-needs areas. My DH is preparing to go fulltime to finish up his history degree so he can teach. Because he is male, and because he wants to teach elementary/middle school, and because he wants to teach history, he is likely to be able to get money from both the state and the school for his education (to the tune of "free"). You won't be looking at much of a pay cut, if any, and he'll have summers off if he wants. He can coach, sponsor clubs, or do summer school for extra money. I sort of doubt my DH is going to want to do any of that. I'm looking at the next couple of years as a forced budgeting class. Any income will be better than none, and we'll feel rich!

[Altair]

In general, teachers make on the low end of what it takes to live a comfortable life in the community you work in. I work a LOT of overtime in order to live on my salary.

I don't think it's a career anyone should choose for any reason but an ENORMOUS calling. The hours are overwhelming, the stress is crazy, and there's never enough money. It takes REALLY loving what you do to m ake it worth it!


ETA: teaching history/SS in a decent middle/high school is one of the least in demand positions. there is a MUCH greater need for math and special education. It doesn't mean he shouldn't do it, just that finding a job will be harder.

[Eman'smom]

Pre kids we couldn't ( I taught before SAHMing) I'd like to dispute the raises over a 6 year period I got raises of less that 5,000 total over that time, and my health coverage went up 200% so raise what raise.

Now I had student loans, and a car loan (had to get to school 30 miles away), but other than that we lived very frugally.


I'm sure some people could do it but we couldn't.

[Kinipela79]

We do it. My husband is a teacher and I am a SAHM. He is the choir director and also teaches weight training. He has other things he does to supplement his teachers pay - he is an assistant varsity coach for the high school football team and is the organist and director of music at a church. We don't have loads of cash to be tossing around but we are very comfortable and happy!

[indie]

Originally Posted by Altair

In general, teachers make on the low end of what it takes to live a comfortable life in the community you work in. I work a LOT of overtime in order to live on my salary.

I don't think it's a career anyone should choose for any reason but an ENORMOUS calling. The hours are overwhelming, the stress is crazy, and there's never enough money. It takes REALLY loving what you do to m ake it worth it!

It really is a calling for my DH, but we have made big sacrifices for it. It will be several years before we are able to buy a house. If you want to spend a bunch of time and money getting a college education and then get paid less than a lot of people who just graduated high school then this is the job for you.

[nonnymoose]

Originally Posted by Altair

teaching history/SS in a decent middle/high school is one of the least in demand positions. there is a MUCH greater need for math and special education. It doesn't mean he shouldn't do it, just that finding a job will be harder.

In our state, each of the three things I listed is in demand. I think it varies by state. Being male actually helps.

[anhaga]

In our county teachers start around 27K/yr. However, that can be supplemented during the summer, and by tutoring or coaching during the winters. In this county the pay rises about $400/yr. Not so much.

Caution is that the first couple years of teaching are usually pretty intense and generally just doing the class prep and teaching, and grading, parental contacts and so forth can take 12+ hrs/day. So for the first couple years, doing extra duties for extra money might not be an option.

[Parker'smommy]

We did it. When I was pregnant, we KNEW that we couldn't live on his income, so as a trial run, we lived on my income as a teacher and banked his income for 9 months. After having babe, we then used his banked income, and savings, and disability ( that I had to pay into, teachers do NOT get state disability in Ca.) to make it 6 months. After him trying for over a year to get a better paying job, he quit his job and I went back to work to teach. He stayed home with ds. It was going to be tight, but we could do it. Fortunately for me, the second day I was back at work, he was offered a job. It didn't pay enough for me to stay home, so he rejected the offer. They came back two days later with enough money for me to stay home and I quit my job 60 days later ( when his insurance would kick in). He actually made less than my teacher's salary for a year, and we made it. You can do it. It might not be easy, but it can be done.

[Stayseeliz]

The thing is high school graduates around here make SQUAT! He has a master's degree and makes $13 an hour..Not nearly enough for us to live on..If he's considered to have a bachelor's degree equivalent in history he'll make $29,500 his first year..And he'd have to do something to supplement during the summer..He wouldn't be able to sit around for 3 months..He'd go crazy!!!

I know it would be hard work but right now he works for a lighting company and there is NO room for advancement and he hates it..So we have to do something..

Actually middle school social studies is one of the high needs jobs listed for the state so he'd qualify for accelerated certification if he chooses that..The only other thing he'd consider is Bible or religion..His plan is to teach several years in the school system then go get his PhD and teach at the college level..

I think we're going to collect the documents and start moving toward this..He's so miserable and he'd be a great teacher!! I know it's going to be stressful but I think it'd beat working where he is forever with no chance of advancement you know?

[LadyMarmalade]

Originally Posted by Altair

In general, teachers make on the low end of what it takes to live a comfortable life in the community you work in. I work a LOT of overtime in order to live on my salary.

I don't think it's a career anyone should choose for any reason but an ENORMOUS calling. The hours are overwhelming, the stress is crazy, and there's never enough money. It takes REALLY loving what you do to m ake it worth it!

I totally agree.

Some people in some areas can live on a teacher's salary. Other people in other areas can't. It really depends on the area.

[anhaga]

Originally Posted by Stayseeliz

And he'd have to do something to supplement during the summer..He wouldn't be able to sit around for 3 months..He'd go crazy!!!

Just another caution: its not really 3 months, at least I don't think it is in many places. Teachers work 1-2 weeks after school is dismissed (school and district reserved days), there are workshops during the summer (and during the year for that matter), and there are 1-2 wks before school starts in the fall that are also work days. In our district that works out to about 6 wks off-- which many teachers spend reading, prepping, etc.

I think your long term plan sounds interesting and can be done. Working and going to school is hard. Beginning teaching and going to school will require a lot of dedication and support from you.

[BathrobeGoddess]

There is no way we could do it and that is because the amount we would have to pay for family health insurance. Thats one of the main reasons I don't teach in the district. The school district here contributes $0 to benefits so for a family it is $650 a month. The starting pay for a person with a Masters is $29K so it breaks down like this:

$2416 per month
-$650 per month for health insurance
-$150-$180 to PERA (State retirement program, in CO teachers don't get to collect social security)
- $100 taxes
grand total of $1486 for 60 hours (or more) a week of work...about $6.19 per hour...

[Amylcd]

Yes, but not not well starting out in southern ohio (24,000 a year).

[Bethla]

In our district health benefits are paid for classified and certificated staff. With the exception of dental which is about $27.00 a month. Teachers in our district are paid (starting out) $185.00 a day for 6 hrs. instructional time for 10 months out of the year. This does not include the extra time they spend at school and working at home--but technically they are not required to stay any longer than 15 min. afterschool. But then there's staff meetings, etc..

The majority of my relatives are teachers,including my mom and they don't have any trouble taking vacations, buying cars, paying bills. But then again, most have are dual-income families. I believe my mom's salary is around $75,000 now, after being with the district for 18 years.

[Stayseeliz]

Yeah, my mom makes a lot but she's been in the school system for 25 years..I know we'd be looking at a lot less to being with..

I'm really torn here..I want to encourage him to continue with this but we both agree that we don't want me to have to get a job..We're going to start homeschooling our own in the fall..

I guess we'll just keep that budget tight and try to do extra things here and there..The only alternative is for him to stay in the same place doing the same thing which will be just mind numbing for him..

Thanks for your input..A lot to think about!!