Teacher Discovers His Salary Is Less Than Half What His 18-Year-Old Son Makes One Month After Graduating High School
According to the educator, this is just one of many reasons "why public education is in shambles."
Elnur | Shutterstock It's no secret that teachers are chronically underpaid. Despite molding the minds of future generations, the salaries of most educators are tragically low.
One teacher discovered that his salary is less than half of what his 18-year-old son makes, despite him being fresh out of high school.
In a Reddit post to the r/Teachers forum, a man admitted that he’s equally proud of his son and disappointed in his industry after learning what his child's salary truly is.
“Me: 40, master’s degree, 12 years of teaching experience [makes] $53,000 a year with [about] $70K in student debt. My hour rate is about $25/hour,” he wrote. “[My son is] paid $63 an hour, $95 if it’s overtime.”
Elnur | Shutterstock
After graduating from high school at 18, the dad explained that his son immediately went to work at a local roofing company installing solar panels.
“For commercial jobs, he’s paid $63 an hour, $95 if it’s overtime. For residential jobs, he makes $25 an hour," he shared. "About 70% of their jobs are commercial, and he’s currently on the apprentice waiting list.”
It’s clear his son’s salary will only continue to grow as he advances in his field, yet that isn't the case for the teacher who is already over a decade into his career.
The man even admitted that if he were to go back in time, he wouldn't necessarily choose the field of education. "If I wasn’t an out-of-shape 40-year-old who can’t afford to start over at this point in my personal and financial life, I certainly would," he wrote.
Teachers today are more underpaid than ever before.
According to research on teacher’s salaries, the problem has only grown more alarming in recent years.
Adjusted for inflation, most educators today make almost 10% less than they did a decade ago. Add student loan debt, incredibly long work days, and the overwhelming stress that comes with the profession — it’s both inexcusable and unfair.
Studies from the Economic Policy Institute reveal that the teacher pay gap is wider now than it’s ever been, with public school teachers in the United States making almost 19% less than comparably educated professionals.
While everyone deserves to be paid fairly and equitably, the teacher admitted his son doesn’t have nearly the amount of educational or practical experience that he has — his degrees alone cost thousands of dollars and years to complete.
“I grew up on a dairy farm and worked as unskilled labor for a local contractor one summer in college. I went into teaching because I saw the physical toll manual labor takes,” he added, fairly arguing that his son deserves all the compensation he’s awarded.
“However, after seeing how mental and emotional stress takes a physical toll I’d probably go into a trade, especially one of the less physically demanding ones … I love teaching, but if my job was only just teaching kids and I could make a decent wage then it would be much different,” he wrote.
The teacher claimed that his low compensation illuminates one why reason public education is ‘in shambles.’
For teachers, students, and parents alike, the failures of the educational system are becoming increasingly alarming as years continue to pass. From insufficient funding and inadequate curriculums to teaching shortages resulting in unqualified applicants, there are a million consequences affecting school districts across the country.
We're obviously seeing the effects on students, from their struggling emotional well-being to their dropping grades and literacy levels. However, the impact on teachers is just as dire. Not only are they burdened with the emotional and physical turmoil it takes to be successful in the profession, but they’re struggling at home.
They’re struggling to pay their bills, make time to reconnect with themselves, or even have a moment of relaxation in the evenings. And it’s becoming worse the longer administrators and educational leadership ignore it.
So, for this dad, learning about his son’s comfortable salary felt like a wake-up call. His son deserves the security of a livable wage, but he deserves the same.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.