Many teachers have gathered in protest against their current wages.  The website Top Education Degrees shows that the median annual salary for a teacher is approximately $55,000 a year.  This salary can be fortunate or unfortunate depending on where you live, how many people you are supporting, and your lifestyle in general.  

“The week before the start of school, a number of Snohomish County districts still are in talks with unions for new teacher contracts or have not yet had tentative agreements ratified by union members. Here’s where things stand: [In Northshore School District] Teachers are under contract for another year but expect to negotiate salary increases. Scheduled first days of school, depending on grade: Wednesday, Sept. 5, and Thursday, Sept. 6”  According to the website Glassdoor, “The typical Northshore School District Teacher salary is $75,000. Teacher salaries at Northshore School District can range from $57,000 – $75,000” says HeraldNet (August 29, 2018)

According to Bloomberg, “The median income for the country’s 1 million high school teachers, for example, is more than 50% higher than that of the general population.”  Teachers are not necessarily underpaid, but peers with similar levels of education are being paid a bit more than teachers are.

The Federalist website says teachers earn lower average wages than college graduates in most other professions, but four-year degrees are not all created equal.  The federalist claims that teachers hold a degree in the least challenging fields of study.

According to the website Money, “A decade ago, teachers paid 35% of their health insurance premium for a family plan. In 2017, Vox found that had increased to 38%. As a result, teachers have had to pay nearly $1,500 more than other state employees toward their insurance premiums.”