Teacher's Wife 'Gives Him Grief' Over His Salary Not Being High Enough When She Makes $150K
Commenters couldn't figure out why his wife was unhappy when she made six figures a year.
Xavier Lorenzo | Shutterstock We all know that teachers are not paid nearly enough, given all the hard work they do to shape the next generation of minds. One teacher’s wife was more upset about this than most.
One teacher received criticism from his wife over his salary when she made plenty of money for them both.
A teacher posted on Reddit to ask for “marriage advice” after his wife was hard on him about his low salary.
The interesting thing is that she makes enough money for them to live comfortably.
“Wife keeps giving me grief about being a broke teacher,” he said. “It is brought up often.”
The true shock was just how much the man’s wife makes in a year. “She makes over $150,000 and says our financial struggles are because of me,” he explained.
This teacher feels that he is exactly where he’s meant to be with his career, but his wife doesn’t see it that way.
“She has witnessed many students and parents talk about the impact I have made in their lives, and she still wants me to quit education,” he stated. “I see it as my calling.”
The teacher feels like he is being pushed out of doing the thing that he loves, all because his wife says he is not properly providing for them. Meanwhile, she is making more than enough money to do so.
Other Reddit users were confused about the wife’s argument.
Other teachers chimed in on the thread and tried to help out the original poster, who so desperately needed advice. Almost all pointed out that money should not be an issue for the family.
“Her 150 plus your 40 (at least) equals 190 (possibly more depending on your salary),” one person pointed out. “If you have money issues, it has nothing to do with how much you earn. It has to do with how much the two of you are spending.”
“I’m a teacher married to a teacher,” another said. “Combined, we don’t bring home as much as your wife. We are month to month but a comfortable month.”
One person tried to bring the conversation back down to Earth by saying, “This ain’t a conversation for a Reddit board, it’s one for a marriage counselor.”
Based on data, it’s true that money should not be a problem for this couple.
According to statistics, Reddit commenters were spot on with their estimation of a teacher’s income.
The National Education Association said that the average starting salary for a new teacher is $44,530 a year. Meanwhile, as some locations have increased the amount they pay teachers, the average salary for a more seasoned teacher has risen to $69,544 annually.
Although some school districts are effecting change by paying their teachers more, many are not. And, as the teachers on Reddit pointed out, many probably find their yearly salaries to be closer to $40,000.
The average teacher salary is admittedly lower than the national average. The Census Bureau reported that “real median household income was $74,580 in 2022.”
While teachers make below the median household income, this family does not.
According to the poster, his wife makes $150,000 a year. That’s $75,420 more than the average household income, meaning she makes more than double that much. Really, she is making enough for two households with some left over.
Looking at the situation from this perspective shows that there is really nothing wrong with the finances in this marriage. Yes, one spouse does make significantly more than the other, but it’s enough that it takes care of the couple.
Perhaps this wife takes issue with being the breadwinner as a woman or just feels that her husband should be able to more closely match her salary.
Either way, as someone pointed out, it’s probably time to discuss that with a marriage counselor.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.