Teachers in TX start in the low $30k range, I believe. But then you have to pay insurance, retirement, union/association dues (whatever applies), etc. And then you have to pay back your student loan, move (sometimes), buy school supplies for your classroom out of your own pocket, etc. All this and more, and you don’t even get your first check until the end of September. Middle class, you ask? Only if you have a second income or no kids, I suppose. After several years, you can get to $40k. Maybe then you will have your student loans paid off.

First of all, Frank P. has no idea what he’s talking about. Teachers work well over 5 hours a day. A school day is typically 6 hours and you are required to be there before and after school equating to 8 hours. Yes, you do get a lunch break, but who doesn’t. And the prep and planning you do IS work! And there is a lot of it. But I won’t get into the amount of work teachers do (in and out of school) because that is not what the question is.

Yes, you can live a middle class life. It is a little more tricky if you are single. You might have to wait a little longer to buy a home, but in the meantime you can rent something that is still nice. Unless your spouse makes a lot of money you will not be in the upper class, but you will make a fine life with everything you need (and a little more) in the middle class.

Yes, it does. Your home will not be featured on MTV cribs anytime soon, but if you live within your means, of course it will.

The average salary of a teacher is in the mid 40’s in most states. You make more money the longer you teach, so you will likely make something in the high 40’s or 50’s after you are an experienced teacher. If your spouse works, even minimally, you household income can be in the 70’s easily. What more can one ask for? That income level places you in the top 5% of earners on the planet Earth.

From a two-teacher American family in Japan….

It’s painfully obvious Frank P. has never been a public school teacher as he is showing his ignorance as to what teachers really do. I challenge him to teach for one year and he’ll get quite an eye opener!

I would say yes a teacher’s salary would fall into the middle class range of salaries. The starting pay of a teacher in my district is around $40,000 a year. Of course, the pay is relative to where you live. A one bedroom condo costs $400,000 and the average house is over $700,000 in my area.

In NJ it does. In my town they start off in the low to mid 40s, and after 10 years they are up to like 70k. Not bad for 9 months of work. Also, if you start off at 30k in the mid west, that really isn’t bad at all considering you can get a nice house for 120k. A piece of crap house that is 100 years old in NJ goes for 350k. I have a friend who teaches and his wife also does, and hey live a nice middle class life. If you decide to coach or do an aftercare program, that can line your pockets even more. I suggest doing that. It is only a few extra hours a day. Then you will actually work 8 hours a day instead of the 5 youwould put in if you didn’t coach. A normal school day is 9-3. Take out time for lunch and prep, and a normal teacher works about 5 hours a day. 5 hours a day for a 180 work year making 30,000 is about $33 an hour. Most starting salaries for a college grad make around that much unless you are in a specialized area, and those people work around 255 days a year. So when a teacher complains about salary, tell them to go shove!

After your first year, you teach the same exact stuff. You can use the same lessons, same worksheets, use the same books, etc. Most other jobs you do extra work at home as well, not just teaching. The majority of teachers I know who aren’t first year teachers use their prep time as rest time, taking your day down to 5 hours with lunch. Most other jobs do get a lunch, but they also work 8 FULL hours.

I know exactly what I’m talking about and teachers hate to admit I am right. I have several in my family, and several more good friends that are teachers. All of them know not to complain infront of a person who works 40 hours a week for 50 weeks. Kids change each year, but everything else remains the same unless they change books, which happen what every 10 years, or maybe even more? Come on, get real.

It depends on the district you work and the area your live. In an expensive state like NY or California, no, but in Texas or the Midwest, yes.

A cousin of my wife tried to teach public school in NJ and she was making more money than in TX, but she left after 2 years because she couldn’t pay her mortage.

I read in a website that some (high school) teachers make as much money as, or even more than, professors. But I’m sure a lot of personal factors (where you went to school, where you’re teaching, years of experience) went into it.

Yes, however, entry-level salaries are quite low. The good side is that you usually have good benefits.

Yes

but only after you have several years of experience and some education

HEY FRANK P

YOU DON’T HAVE THE SLIGHTEST F- – -ING CLUE WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT.