Teacher Spent 6 Years In College To Have Only $1.44 In Her Bank Account
She admitted that she has to live paycheck to paycheck because of the lack of financial freedom that comes with being a teacher.
Robert Kneschke | Shutterstock Being a public school educator is not for the weak. Between unruly students, unhelpful administration, and frustrating parents, there are endless hurdles and difficult circumstances that teachers are forced to deal with. And despite the hard work they put into the profession, they are severely underpaid.
Such is the case for one teacher who posted to the subReddit r/Teachers venting her frustrations about the low compensation she receives.
The teacher spent 6 years in college to have only $1.44 in her bank account.
"All I can do at this moment is just laugh and pray," she began in her Reddit post. The woman explained that, as a public school teacher, she doesn't get paid a livable wage, and has been forced to live paycheck to paycheck for the past several months.
"For context, I have no children and pay around 1,700 in rent monthly," she added. "Years ago, I did not have to work a summer/second job, but now it seems like there’s no choice."
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It's truly disheartening that the teacher, who is only supporting herself, is struggling to afford basic necessities and expenses.
"It sucks, but I guess it’s comical that I spent six years in college just to have less than $2 in my account right now," she wrote.
She questioned if she was the only teacher experiencing a period of financial distress and quickly discovered she was not.
Many Redditors were incredibly sympathetic to her situation, and some opened up about their own struggles with teaching.
"I have -$30 in my account. I literally had to overdraft my account to get gas to come to work this week," one Redditor shared. "This is my 8th year of teaching, but I’m paying $2000 a month in rent, and I have a child, so I also have to pay $200 a week for her pre-k. And I’m a solo parent, so it’s all on me. Fun times."
Another person wrote, "I understand. I’m 65 and a retired teacher. I just made [it] through year one of retirement and had to go back as a substitute to pay off a dental bill. I’m so, so tired of never being able to afford a nice vacation. I live paycheck to paycheck. I worked so hard for so many years. And here I am again."
"So many of us have been or are there. From working multiple jobs to selling old books to taking online surveys, it really is unbelievable what people with advanced degrees who are educating the next generations have to do just to make ends meet," a third commenter added.
A majority of teachers in this country are stressed out about their financial situations.
The average teacher salary in the United States is expected to be $71,699 for the 2023–2024 school year, according to the National Education Association. This is a 3.1% increase from the previous year's average of $69,544. Of course, this is before taxes, and considering the high cost of living, which varies from state to state, it doesn't seem as high as it should be.
The majority of teachers (61%) are stressed about their finances, with many getting a second job or considering leaving their profession for one that pays more, according to new research from DailyPay conducted by The Harris Poll. The new data revealed the challenges that teachers face just to make ends meet.
The poll found that 42% of educators say they find it challenging to pay bills on time, while 27% say they ran out of money between paychecks in the past year. In fact, one in five teachers say they were unable to pay a bill in the last year.
It's why teachers are leaving the education field in droves. On top of not making nearly enough money, they are often treated poorly in the classroom by students, parents, and administrators alike — making it difficult to justify their financial woes, even if they love teaching.
However, teachers have brought up a solution in the poll. According to the research, 70% of teachers say it would be helpful to be paid more frequently than twice per month. There's no reason why a full-time teacher should have less than $2 in their bank account.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.