<p>the pay sucks. Becoming a high school teacher (English, History, Foreign Languages, etc) seems to be the only job I can actually see my self doing and it also fits my personality. I'm organized, prompt, love to learn/teach, etc. But the average salary for a high school teacher seems so meager. Right now my parents are having financial problems and I don't want to have to have the same problems in the future. I wondering if I should even pursue in a career in education. I am also thinking about becoming a Journalist but I hear it hard to get a job, and then I was thinking about becoming a Movie Editor/Screenwriter but I'm not sure how successful I would be in the long run. I know people say "money isn't everything" but I can't deny the fact that it helps. A lot. What should I do.</p>
<p>Don’t become a teacher for the money. When push comes to shove, you’ll find a way.</p>
<p>Better yet, don’t pursue any job just for the money.</p>
<p>Salary is not just the only thing to consider… the area where you work is also very important.</p>
<p>My dad’s a teacher, and in fact turned down more lucrative jobs (his dad was pushing him to work in finance) in order to teach. Depending on where you teach, the pay isn’t that bad; however, it’s not something you do for the money. </p>
<p>I’d say if you’re serious about teaching, try to minor in education in college. Hopefully you’ll find something that you love and pays very well, but you’ll always have teaching to fall back on. It’s one of the most rewarding job fields, and kids will be grateful once they get to high school.</p>
<p>Eh, i dont want to say anything bad.</p>
<p>At least become a professor at a respected university…</p>
<p>^ That takes years of work. Just saying.</p>
<p>So does ever other respectable job though. Becoming a manager, becoming a doctor, becoming a lawyer in a good firm: all take years of schooling and work. If you really love “learning” and teaching, you should learn enough to get that Ph.D and teach at that university.</p>
<p>State employed teacher? A license and 4 years from your local state school. Right?</p>
<p>Well being a professor depends on what type we’re talking about here.</p>
<p>Tenured or what?</p>
<p>I’ve had Teachers that are barely 21 before.</p>
<p>In NY the money’s quite good actually. The amazing health and retirement plan should also be considered.</p>
<p>^ Truth. I didn’t want to point this out because obviously not all teaching jobs are the same, but my family lives quite comfortably on a NY teacher’s salary. And the various insurance plans are great.</p>
<p>Yeah ik teachers in our district make a great amount…and with only 180 work days a year. Good deal, I think.</p>
<p>If you really want to be an HS teacher, then go for it.</p>
<p>When you’re on your death bed, nobody wishes they made more money in their lifetime. Most people regret not chasing their dream. Don’t be one of them.</p>
<p>While most teachers don’t earn much, the really good ones can make a very respectable living, like 80-90k a year. In fact, I know a public school teacher who makes 120k a year! However, he did win some national awards for his teaching skills.</p>
<p>Either teach full time at a college, or teach high school and teach part time at a local 4 year college. You can make pretty decent money working 3-6 hours a week at a college after school.</p>
<p>…I wish that my dad would become a teacher. The pay is amazing.</p>
<p>But instead my dad’s a lawyer and we’re under the poverty line.</p>
<p>As a teacher, you’re starting salary is going to be $30-40k a year, which here, is extremely good. My aunt/uncle were teachers, and I believe they’re millionaires now based on how much money they saved up.</p>
<p>On top of that, it’s steady income and it’s really difficult to get fired. You get 12 paychecks, but you only have to go in 9 months, so if you wanted to, you could actually get a second job in the summer and make double. Teachers also get retirement and benefits.</p>
<p>I’ve considered being a teacher because of how much money they do make and how steady the income is. Here, a teacher who’s been here for 20 years is making $70k. That’s really good, considering how low the Cost of living is here. The average income for my city is about 35k.</p>
<p>If you want to be a teacher, then do it and just move somewhere that’s got a low cost of living like SC.</p>
<p>Truth be told, at least on a teachers salary, you can know how much money you’re going to make and when you’re going to make it. My dad’s a lawyer, and some months can be good months while other months suck, so income is really hard to judge.</p>
<p>If you’re good, you can make a lot of money tutoring. A HS bio teacher (28 year old guy) charged $200 an hour through tutoring, incl. for SAT subject tests, by working through an agency. He kept half. Even by working only a few extra hours a week, he was able to support a great lifestyle. (He always had the newest gadgets- iPad, Kindle, etc.)</p>
<p>I’m currently a high school teacher in an international school, where I get free rent for my on-campus apartment, free tuition for my two children in the high school (35k right there), free bus transportation and meal plans, plus a decent salary. So, if you love teaching, there are interesting ways to make it work</p>
<p>Tutoring is a great way to make money as a HS teacher, as far as I know. My AP Chem teacher (early 30s) makes $100 an hour tutoring. Heck, if you’re a successful high school student, you can make decent money tutoring something (I teach violin and make good money from a high school student’s standpoint).</p>
<p>Personally, I also want to become a high school teacher. Whenever my parents tell friends that ask, the friends usually freak out, saying that there’s something better for me. But my parents (my dad’s a college professor) know about the short work year, relative job stability, and benefits, so they think it’s definitely a viable career. </p>
<p>If you really want to do it, you can make it happen.</p>
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<p>Do NOT Teach in NYC, Chicago or Washington DC, while things are good now, and I know this from personal family members who consist of teachers, professors, adjuncts, principals and even dean, they are at an age of retiring, but things are changing for the worse. Mayor Bloomberg of NYC is trying to get rid of the tenure system, so you will get paid low, and when you nearly reach tenure you will get fired before you can reach it. Before receiving tenure, it’s very easy and legal to get fired for any reason. It is really unfortunate,</p>
<p>DC is one of the worst places to teach. DC schools are awful.</p>
<p>shushugah, the tenure system is one of the things holding our educational system back. In what other occupation can you do absolutely nothing, be terrible at your job, and not get fired? High School teaching is the only job where people can do that. And not only that, but they get a pay increase each year, regardless of how well or how poorly they teach.</p>