The Low Salary of Teachers Compared to Other Professions
Document Type
Presentation
Type
Information Motivating Public Activism (IMPACT)
UN Sustainable Development Goal
UNSDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Start Date
29-4-2020 10:15 AM
End Date
29-4-2020 10:30 AM
Abstract
Teachers have arguably one of the most important jobs in the world: to teach their students, i.e. the upcoming generation of kids, essential skills needed for the future. Yet ironically studies show that teachers have a drastically lower salary compared to other career choices. The National Education Association (NEA) determined that the average salary for a teacher has dropped about 4.5 percent over the past decade. For context, the highest average salary that teachers can make in America is in Washington, D.C., which is $55,209, according to the World Population Review. In comparison, a professional NFL player could make $510,000 yearly at the very least, and with more experience, they would earn at least $735,000, as stated by MarketWatch. This is only one of many examples of the tremendous inequality of salaries for teachers. The wage gap can be the result of factors present throughout different careers, geographical dislocation, as well as grade level. Analyzing the wage gap will not only shed light on the comparison of different careers, but will bring up questions regarding the teaching system itself. We will focus on comparing a teacher’s average salary to other professions to emphasize the dramatic difference, as well as reflect on possible factors that could affect this wage gap, such as the teacher’s credentials, geographical dislocation, and grade level. By understanding the wage gap, we can work toward better financing teachers to promote their decent work and improve economic growth.
The Low Salary of Teachers Compared to Other Professions
Teachers have arguably one of the most important jobs in the world: to teach their students, i.e. the upcoming generation of kids, essential skills needed for the future. Yet ironically studies show that teachers have a drastically lower salary compared to other career choices. The National Education Association (NEA) determined that the average salary for a teacher has dropped about 4.5 percent over the past decade. For context, the highest average salary that teachers can make in America is in Washington, D.C., which is $55,209, according to the World Population Review. In comparison, a professional NFL player could make $510,000 yearly at the very least, and with more experience, they would earn at least $735,000, as stated by MarketWatch. This is only one of many examples of the tremendous inequality of salaries for teachers. The wage gap can be the result of factors present throughout different careers, geographical dislocation, as well as grade level. Analyzing the wage gap will not only shed light on the comparison of different careers, but will bring up questions regarding the teaching system itself. We will focus on comparing a teacher’s average salary to other professions to emphasize the dramatic difference, as well as reflect on possible factors that could affect this wage gap, such as the teacher’s credentials, geographical dislocation, and grade level. By understanding the wage gap, we can work toward better financing teachers to promote their decent work and improve economic growth.