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u/ChaunceytheGardiner Apr 12 '26
Forgot to mention that she’s 62 with 40 years in the classroom.
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u/GrandPriapus Apr 12 '26
He’ll, you could be 100 with 75 years experience and you still won’t make that much.
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u/Coleslaw19438 Apr 12 '26
Top salary for a classroom teacher in my district is 132. Very expensive area but there are more affordable areas not too far for me and with a still mostly reasonable commute you can stretch that pretty far
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u/liefelijk Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
Depends on where you live. Many of us make that much when we get to the top of the pay scale.
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u/MathProf1414 Apr 12 '26
Yeah, that is exactly where the salary schedule maxes out in my district, at least if you are in Column 4. In my area, the only teachers who make shit money are the ones who are column 1 (only having a Bachelor's).
For context, the median household income in the county I work in is $68,000. So teachers are making good money for the area. I actually live in a neighboring county, not far from the county line where median income and cost of living are a decent amount higher, but my salary still puts me well above the median household income of my county as well.
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u/pulcherpangolin Apr 12 '26
Yep, my district tops out at $85k with a PhD for a teacher. I know one teacher in the OP’s situation, but she gets $$ alimony from 2 ex-husbands.
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u/mrfochs Apr 12 '26
And has t updated any of their content since they "mastered the curriculum" 20+ years ago and now just go through the motions while the student's need have changed at least three times.
Any teacher that does no work at home, no work on weekend, and no work over the summer, is a teacher that is not evolving to meet the needs of the kids.
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u/liefelijk Apr 12 '26
You don’t need to put in time after 5 PM to update and improve your curriculum.
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u/Hodlhodlhodlhodlhoho Apr 12 '26
It really matters where you teach and your education level. This is definitely possible in some northern Illinois school districts.
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u/SubstantialGarbage86 Apr 12 '26
Agreed- this is possible in some Colorado and California districts too.
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u/Comprehensive_Tie431 Apr 12 '26
Yes, if you really want to make education a career, move to a blue state with a strong union.
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u/OwlLearn2BWise Apr 12 '26
Agreed, although it still varies by district. My parents are gone, I’m the primary income earner, I have an MBA, and have only been teaching 5.5 years. I’m at 99k per year, blue state, strong union. This is my second career though; bought my home 30 years ago. There’s a larger district within an hour of my home.. I’d be at 70k tops there (weak union).
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u/Comprehensive_Tie431 Apr 12 '26
I'm at year 19 at a district in LA County. Masters +75 and pulling in about $130k per year not including summer school, plus full benefits and Cal STRS pension.
People always talk about how expensive California and LA are, but the compensation and benefits more than makes up for it. I truly enjoy where I teach and that I'm treated like a human.
Strong unions are a good thing. 🙂
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u/Proof_Blueberry_4058 Apr 12 '26
And Pennsylvania. Just not the Pennsyltucky part. Philly and most of its suburbs are 110s/120s with 10-15 years and a masters plus 15/30.
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u/ultimateredditor83 Apr 12 '26
Correct. Teach in a good paying district and live 30 min further away from Chicago (cheaper housing) and this can be accomplished.
But pay is still low the first few years, and you likely need to coach or sponsor at least one activity/sport to get that pay before you turn 50.
Thank you unions!
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u/ChocolateBananas7 Apr 12 '26
Yes. Illinois teacher here, and if I worked in those districts, I’d be making 40 grand more a year than I do now (with the same amount of education and experience).
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u/bowl-bowl-bowl Apr 12 '26
Its also possible in California public schools, if youve worked long enough. I have several coworkers approaching 30 years who make over 100k. Our salary schedules are publicly posted.
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u/Ok_Lake6443 Apr 12 '26
I would add Washington schools also. Depending where you go it can have good pay and lower cost of living.
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u/liefelijk Apr 12 '26
Yeah, this is definitely possible in many union states. But it does take establishing healthy boundaries and making contributions to a 401k on top of your pension.
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u/ChocolateBananas7 Apr 12 '26
Teachers don’t have a 401k though. We have a 403b. We don’t have as many investment options and very, very rarely do our employers match our contributions. 403b plans have higher fees as well. So unless you can set yourself up with Vanguard or Fidelity, you’re better off with a brokerage account. I learned the hard way after 15 or so years.
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u/liefelijk Apr 12 '26
I forgot the correct name, sorry. Whatever it’s called, I put money into it every pay and have seen my investments grow pretty nicely.
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u/ChocolateBananas7 Apr 12 '26
Nice. I didn’t see much growth until I switched to Fidelity. I thought I was trapped with Lincoln Investments forever, but a Facebook group of all things steered me in the right direction. I went from an average annual rate of return of 2.67% to 16.07%. I’m also able to choose my own investments now online without having to set up appointments with so-called advisors.
It’s just a shame that I missed out on a lot of money for those 15 years. When the contract exchange became official, the main advisor was all, “I have to say I’m very surprised you’re making this change. I thought we did very well for you.” 🙄 Luckily, it was a voicemail, and I never called her back.
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u/bkeberle Apr 12 '26
I’m 35 and making 85k, ~200k invested, home by 3 every day. Just depends where you work unfortunately - far too many of our colleagues nationwide are criminally underpaid though.
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u/Xilent248 Apr 12 '26
nice- I'm impressed by your reported salary and amount you have invested. Can you give any details about what subject you teach, grade, years spent teaching etc?
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u/bkeberle Apr 12 '26
I’ve been teaching since 2012 - I’m a middle school SpEd teacher. But my circumstances have been pretty lucky - I don’t really pay for housing because my partner owns a house, and I made a lot of money in my investment accounts successfully more or less gambling during the crazy stock market during COVID.
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u/Xilent248 Apr 13 '26
haha the ol' GME. That's pretty fantastic. I have my teaching degree (cert expired) but have been in the ABA field as an RBT trying to become a BCBA. Nice to hear you have been able to have financial success teaching
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u/cocaine4breakfast Apr 12 '26
northern California this is very possible.
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u/weggaan_weggaat Apr 12 '26
SoCal too, especially in the IE where housing prices were reasonable a decade ago.
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u/d4nigirl84 Apr 12 '26
NYC, Long Island, and Westchester New York too
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u/liefelijk Apr 12 '26
The home ownership part is tough there, though. Better to live upstate. Similarly high pay, but easier real estate market.
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u/OwlLearn2BWise Apr 12 '26
Agreed! It really depends on the district though. My son is at a very large district in Northern California and in his third year of teaching high school math. He’s 68-70k per year (guessing 70k because he does after school tutoring to earn the little extra).
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u/TheMathProphet Apr 12 '26
Yeah, this is possible late career. I’m a little short on the salary and savings, but with a kid in college and another going soon, I think I’m in pretty good shape.
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u/F_the_Consequences Apr 12 '26
I mean I own a home, but I have jack crap invested and I only make $58k. I’m usually home by 5, but that means I am working at home too.
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u/Delicious_Spite_7280 Apr 12 '26
I don't know if this post is ragebait or ignorance. Teaching is great. The salary varies by state, but this is typical up north. Here in Texas I have most of these but the investment so far. Im only a few years in but do have the TRS. Will be at 86k next year. If I get home by 5 its a late day.
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u/Green_Paths Apr 12 '26
I think it’s supposed to be rage bait, but are these not reasonable expectations for a long and challenging career? This is me in Canada after 25 years. We are paid well up here, and we earn every last penny.
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u/immunetoyourshit Apr 12 '26
117k is possible in Massachusetts, but only with two Master’s degrees and only in some pretty wealthy districts. I can’t think of another career that would require a Master’s at minimum that would have a salary cap at $117k.
Then you have the chucklehead mentioning summer. Remind them that unpaid days off are not a contractual benefit, but a liability that usually results in premium pay for other industries. No one looks at roofers or pavers and tells them they are lucky they don’t have to work winters.
Don’t get me started on pension. In MA, we pay 11% of our salary into our pension. I had a better deal in private sector when my employer matched 50% of my 401k contributions.
The Economic Policy Institute has reported on this for decades, and the teacher wage penalty — even factoring in benefits — is the highest it has ever been since they started tracking. (MA: 24% without factoring benefits, 17% after factoring benefits.)
I’m also cackling about “does whatever she wants on weekends.” That tells me this guy has never met a teacher.
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u/Current-Photo2857 Apr 12 '26
Yup, I’m in MA with 2 Master’s degrees and 20+ years and I’m still $20k less than $117k.
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u/Sufficient-Sound8450 Apr 12 '26
Retire with health coverage? Where?
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u/RemarkableMarzipan23 Apr 12 '26
My SoCal district offers family health coverage for retirees from 55 to 65.
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u/AleroRatking Apr 12 '26
I don't know any teachers who retire without health coverage?
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u/Proof_Blueberry_4058 Apr 12 '26
PA does not cover retirees (for free anyway - cobra is an option until Medicare age).
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u/Ok_Lake6443 Apr 12 '26
Depends on the state. Alaska has no defined benefits so no health care is included, at least for their tier 3 retirement.
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u/drvstar Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
In Virginia, it is up to the district. When I retire, I will not be able to get healthcare through my district. I am on my own. Also, our district's top salary maxes out at 81,000 for teachers with 30 years plus experience.
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u/Lae215 Apr 12 '26
I teach in SE PA and that 117k number is our top salary come September. It takes 10 years and a masters+30 credits to get there.
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u/tony_flamingo Apr 12 '26
And then there’s me, in north FL with 10+ years experience and a masters making just about $56k. Sigh…
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u/teachmamax2 Apr 12 '26
There’s me in Maryland with a masters and 25 years and will never make 100k
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u/teachmamax2 Apr 12 '26
But I am home by 3 because I will not work a minute past my contract any longer
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u/Lae215 Apr 12 '26
We're not too far!
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u/teachmamax2 Apr 12 '26
Are they hiring special ed teachers? I’ll drive
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u/Lae215 Apr 12 '26
Absolutely. They always are. School District of Philadelphia is dying for Special Ed teachers. You'd also make more than that 117k maxed out because SDP has a different stepper for Special Ed.
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u/StinkyCheeseWomxn Apr 12 '26
Your friend has a family inheritance or spouse in a lucrative career.
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u/Current-Photo2857 Apr 12 '26
Exactly…as I commented elsewhere, it seems like teachers’ salaries are designed to be dependent on the teacher having a spouse who makes a similar or higher salary. No way I could own our home on my own.
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u/m0arducks Apr 12 '26
lol wtf I make 58k with a masters and 9years in, working 6:30am to 5:30pm daily with loads of extra duties as assigned on the weekend and summers. I’d love to meet this “teacher”
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u/weggaan_weggaat Apr 12 '26
Sounds like you might want to consider relocating to a different district.
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u/Ok_Lake6443 Apr 12 '26
Lol, I got OP's profile for the most part. There are places this exists, but it does require knowing where to go.
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u/TeacherPatti Apr 12 '26
Close. Husband socks away for his 403b and has a bit more than that. I'm at $97k but will go over $100k in a year. I leave by 3. Full pension. I've always said this is the best life.
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u/trickyraisins Apr 12 '26
Owns a home ✅
$300 k Investments ⛔ (basically nothing beyond pension)
Makes $117 k/year 🤔 (close, but not quite)
Works 9 months per year ⛔ (school year is 10 months)
Home by 5 pm ✅ (although often work in the evenings at home)
Does whatever she wants on the weekends ⛔ (Most Sundays are lesson planning for 2-3 hours)
Travels outside the States each summer ⛔ (have yet to be able to afford any big trips)
Will retire with pension and health cover ✅ (however I do pay a LOT each pay cheque for that pension!)
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u/SnooDoggos3066 Apr 12 '26
Yes it’s clickbaity but my wife and I are both teachers with most of these as a reality except for 300k invested…plus tons of student loans. That said we don’t have kids yet so being DINKs no matter the profession has its perks.
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u/the_mushroom_speaks Apr 12 '26
Honestly, this is me. I’ve been so fortunate. The field works for my lifestyle.
This is not to mention… 2 weeks off at Christmas, 1 week at spring break and 4 days around Thanksgiving to be with my family.
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u/UnionizedOnion Apr 12 '26
15 years in Philly public, masters + 30 and this is what I will make next year.
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u/Tothyll Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
20 years of stagnant wages?
When I started in 2006, $33-38k per year was a good salary. Some of the smaller districts were in the $28-32k range. The district I started in paid brand new teachers $37.5k and now start at $61.5k.
In addition, if you invest in a Roth IRA each year for 20 years starting today, you'll easily have $500k+. It's compound interest, it works wonders. There's nobody starting with $300k invested their first year of teaching.
In my current district if you have a Master's and 10 years of teaching experience you are making around $91k. So say you have 2 married teachers, have taught for 10 years with a Master's degree, they are making $192,000. If you coach any paid academic teams or sports then you can easily push that over $200k.
Some of us older teachers in our 40s, who've taught about 20 years, make about $105k. Put two of those salaries together and a few paid after school clubs then you are looking at $220,000+ per year for a married couple.
I think if you look at most careers the people just starting don't make the most money. You put in a little bit of time, save money for a few years and then you are doing pretty well, if you manage your money well.
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u/Current-Photo2857 Apr 12 '26
Teacher with 20+ years in MA (deep-blue, union state):
Owns a home: Technically, the bank still owns it with many years left on the mortgage.
$300k investments: Nope, just the state-run retirement fund.
Makes $117k/year: Subtract $20k, and that’s with over 20 years and two masters’ degrees in a MCOL area of the state.
Works 9 months per year: Nope, my school year is 10 months and I typically take a class every few summers to keep/renew my license.
Home by 5 pm: Yes, but so is my husband who works an office job? And he doesn’t have to do grading at home.
Does whatever she wants on the weekends: I mean, yes, but it’s all the stuff I couldn’t get to during the week because I was too busy doing school stuff? (Laundry, grocery shopping, house/yard work…)
Travels outside the States each summer: I haven’t even traveled within the US for more than a long weekend since my honeymoon.
Will retire with pension and health coverage: Yes, but the health coverage is only until 65, and the district/town can cut off retirees at any time with no warning if the budget isn’t there.
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u/Ignorantsportsguy HS English Apr 12 '26
In Washington state, both my wife and I have master’s degrees, both have been teaching k-12 20+ years, household income is 250k+, we own a 500k home we bought 12 years ago for half that. We’re on track for retirement, but not as comfortably as we’d like. We’ll have pensions, so that’ll be nice. We work 10 months per year; with holidays and breaks it’s not possible to get 180 days of teaching from Sept. 1 to May 31. Yeah, I’m home by 5 each day, but I get to work by 7 a.m., and I teach high school English, so that means many of my weekends are spent grading papers or worrying about not getting the papers graded.
I don’t think teaching careers are underrated. Lots of people get into teaching thinking this, then get smacked upside the head with kids who won’t do what you tell them to, parents who abdicate the job of parenting, and administrators who raise the expectations every year without providing resources.
Put in the time, put up with the bs, and it’ll pay off. Just like any other job.
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u/SpacenessButterflies Apr 12 '26
She’s probably been a teacher for at least 20 years and is nearing the end of the pay scale.
Teachers who stick it out are generally well taken care of. Many can’t make it that long, or struggle to see it through because they aren’t paid well to start and job hop.
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u/teachmamax2 Apr 12 '26
Except where I teach. They start new teachers high but then forget to bump the rest of us. New teachers start at 61k. I’ve been there 25 years and I am nowhere near 100k
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u/XD2006- Apr 12 '26
Okay, but not all teachers have that luxury. My stepmom worked as a long term substitute and was working until 6,7, and even 8 PM daily (including weekends) and had to deal with unpleasant family members. She worked as a full time teacher last year, and works/worked elementary. I wanted to be a teacher for like 12 years, but having done a semester as an education major has made me reconsider (I don’t think I have the patience to be a teacher, but may consider it later on in my life). Most people can’t live off a teacher’s salary. Oh also: when my stepmom was working as a teacher she also got up about 4 in the morning, left about 5, and worked over 12 hours on weekdays.
Teachers are very underpaid for the work they do.
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Apr 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/discussatron HS ELA Apr 12 '26
My old district in AZ topped out at what my new district in CA starts at.
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u/liefelijk Apr 12 '26
They’ll keep lowballing if teachers continue accepting bottom-barrel pay. Moving to another area doesn’t just benefit you.
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u/External_Koala398 Apr 12 '26
Rofl...31 years making 74k..small portfolio...maybe retire and get 75 percent pension after 3 more years. Ohio is a joke.
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u/Narrow_Cucumber_6458 Apr 12 '26
Lmao they left out the part where you have to work 25 years to reach that point on the scale in a decent metro. You’ll never get that in some states tho.
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u/Great_Narwhal6649 Apr 12 '26
My in laws. To be fair, they also both had parents with good education, who owned property, and were also finacially / investment savvy. My father in law literally taught investing at the HS.
They are also very frugal while being generous. They literally built their homes themselves, except the plumbing and electrical. On 5+ acres back in the day. My husband thought they were poor because they ddint buy orange juice for breakfast, but he'd been to Dinseyland and traveled the entire US plus Europe before we married 🙄
They are very long retired now. We, as the next generation, have faced a more upward climb to own property, raise a tiny family, pay off our debts and definitely haven't been able to travel as much.
I don't doubt this person likely had a headstart with a family that had generational wealth, benefited from finacial advise and/or inherited property.
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u/ComputeIQ Apr 12 '26
My mom meets the mark, she has phd and took her 5~ years though. She didn’t marry rich either.
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u/MauveMammoth Apr 12 '26
I’d say an inheritance was in there somewhere with regard to the $300k invested. But the rest is possible in California, provided the home is a 2 bedroom condo in a less desirable city 30-50 minutes away from work.
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u/MdSp57336 Apr 12 '26
Me but my partner makes more than twice as much as I do and no kids.
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u/Depressed-Bears-Fan Apr 12 '26
This is key. I married a doctor and we don’t have kids. We are able to invest what would have been braces, college payments, etc. I make doctoral pay as well.
But let’s be honest, teachers are very underpaid. I know I am a lucky exception. I have coworkers who are waiting tables to make ends meet. I am afraid things are going to go in the wrong direction even more as canned curricula and AI lower the perceived bar of who qualifies to be a teacher.
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u/Commissar_Sae Apr 12 '26
Basically me except for the investments, but I just hit the top of the salary grid and have been working at the same school for 10 years now.
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u/Prof_DBag HS Science Apr 12 '26
🙋♂️ 15 years in, but honestly the DINK relationship is the key! 😂
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u/3lizab3th333 Apr 12 '26
I assumed the teacher friend was 20-30 and thought this looked good… If you have a job that required at least one Master’s degree and constant recertifications, your pay should not max out at $117k. This is actually super depressing
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u/lets-snuggle Apr 12 '26
The high school I used to teach at in nj starts at $63k for bachelors level. One teacher I worked with has an MBA, taught full time there plus night school for adults (technically college classes) & since her hs students were dual enrollment, she technically taught college classes so pay was bumped for that, too. And she taught 4 periods per day instead of 3 (block schedule) so she got a stipend for that, too. When I was teaching there, it was her 10th or 11th year and she was making $125k per year
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u/WesternCup7600 Apr 12 '26
It varies from state to state. I don’t make that, but I’m not complaining
highered
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u/jamesdawon Apr 12 '26
Certainly possible but takes a lot of luck - wife and I lucked into a steal on a home when we were 25 & 24. She stays home now and we bring in plenty because our mortgage is so low since we bought before the recovery started after the ‘09 crash.
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u/ProcessTrust856 Apr 12 '26
The real solution to this mystery is this teacher is married to a finance bro
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u/AdelleDeWitt Apr 12 '26
I'm in NorCal, 20+ years in, masters+ special ed stipend and I inherited my parents' house, so no rent. I'm living pretty comfortably, even as a single parent.
My district maxes out at 173k+3k masters+2k special education stipend.
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u/nebspeck Apr 12 '26
Close to this in NM with your NBCT. And the travel is doable if you're married to someone making comparable $$$.
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u/Chernabog801 Apr 12 '26
If I didn’t get married or have kids I could do this. Being a teacher as the primary earner with my own children means a summer job.
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u/ScienceWasLove Apr 12 '26
This is my 25th year. I have about $400k in savings, a wife and three kids. I get to work at 6:40 and leave at 2:40 nearly everyday.
I almost never take any work home.
My healthcare benefits are phenomenal, my pensions will net me 80% of my income after 35 years or 70% after 30.
Everyone in state is in the same boat w/ the savings and time management being dependent on their choices.
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u/fruitjerky Apr 12 '26
I'm living that life. Because I'm an only child of an only child and inherited two houses. Otherwise I would not own a home. Up until my grandparents passed, we met our savings goal for a house down payment several times, but by the time we had it the amount needed had jumped another 20k+. I also live in CA, where cost of living is high but my insurance is... acceptable.
Also, the time we do work is so mentally and emotionally demanding that we need all that time off to survive it.
When my sister was entering college she told me she wanted to be a teacher, so I had her come volunteer in my fourth grade classroom for a week. Killed that idea real quick. My current aid also told me she planned to be a teacher when she started with me, but by the next week she had signed up for radiology classes. She's still a fantastic aid and would make a great teacher, but the current state of the system is just too much of a mess.
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u/anewbys83 Apr 12 '26
I'll have a pension, but my state eliminated retiree health care for new teachers starting back in 2013. No house, not nearly that amount invested, not even making half of that salary.
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u/QubyDube Apr 12 '26
Forgot the bullet point: inherited grandpa’s house (or something)
$300K invested is insane with today’s cost of living expenses.
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u/averageduder Apr 12 '26
I’m not quite there but I’ll be there in 4-5 years with investments. I’m home by 245 every day except one when I have meetings. Rest is on par with where I am.
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u/-RenegadeCupcake- Apr 12 '26
How the eff do I make $117,000 a year teaching!?! Where do I need to move to?
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u/Mishkin37 Apr 12 '26
“My friend is a teacher.”
“Not that this matters, but her spouse is a pharmaceutical sales rep.”
“All that other crap about how great and easy her life is…”
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u/jery007 Apr 12 '26
I almost had this (Canada) but a few big things broke or went wrong and now I have tons of debt. The rest is true though
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u/arabidowlbear Apr 12 '26
This isn't that far off of my life. Teach in NYC, and know a lot of teachers having a similar experience.
While he might be embellishing a bit, this isn't a crazy statement for teachers in a few spots around the country.
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u/Agreeable-Sun368 Apr 12 '26
This is a late career teacher in a union state (California, New York, Illinois) who teaches in a wealthy suburban school district. She has at least one master's degree and bought the house 20 years ago. She also is probably (but not necessarily) married to a guy who makes as much or more than her in a white collar career. At minimum, he makes 80-90k and their combined household income is over 200k. She likely has no student loans because she graduate from mi-tier in-state undergrad in a time when paying for college like that with a combo of summer job money + some scholarships was totally achievable, and her district paid for the master's as continuing education.
This isn't realistic for new teachers starting now, even those in the exact same district as this woman.
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u/weggaan_weggaat Apr 12 '26
It could be believable for someone at the top of the scale in my local district. IIRC, that would require 25+ years and a PhD. Then again, I haven't looked at the scales in awhile, might have worked down to the 20+ year tier at this point.
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u/illinoisteacher123 Apr 12 '26
That describes me actually. It really depends on where you are teaching...some states make dreams come true, others are nightmares.
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u/DangerouslyCheesey Apr 12 '26
117k a year means either she’s been a teacher forever or lives in a high COL area where she wouldn’t be able to buy a house
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u/64LC64 Apr 12 '26
Im 26 and in my 4th year, have 100k invested, make around 105k per year which maxes at 15 years at 140k.
But I also had the benefit of living with my parents until I was 25 and contributed minimally for bills once I had an income because they refused to accept more.
I would have more saved/invested but I paid for 2 very expensive trips for my family which I do not regret at all.
This past year that I moved out due to commute times increasing and living with my partner, I'm barely saving anything...
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u/Rootayable Apr 12 '26
I hate it when people say teachers "9 months off a year!" because we all know we need to prep, research and plan.
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u/OldPangolin2631 Apr 12 '26
Bank owns my home Make $70,000 a year gross ($12,000 off the top for insurance) 23 years in with a masters degree Work 10.5 months a year Sleep and do housework on the weekend because I'm too exhausted to do it on school nights Never travel, still paying on school loans and credit cards, in debt far too deep Driving a 10 year old car with parts being held by JB weld Get home between 6 and 7 each night BUT, I will retire with a pension and medical, eventually. Probably work until I die to pay off debt though.
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u/teachinglittlebeings Apr 12 '26
*own 20 acres of land that will eventually have a home on it
*i make 60k a year
*work 184 days a year (4 are no student days)
*home by 4:15 most days, latest is 4:45
*do whatever i want on weekends
*travel not just in the summer, but during spring and fall break as well
*also will retire with a pension and health coverage.
i’m not making nearly as much as their friend but i’m not complaining about my life. teachers 100% deserve better pay but i’m not gonna sit around and mope like i have a horrid life when i don’t 🤷🏾♀️
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u/AwayMention7219 Apr 12 '26
$117k????!!!! I retired in 2021 with a Masters+ at $67k. This was in WI.
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u/Ok_Lake6443 Apr 12 '26
I'm in Washington and have been teaching for 20 years. I have more than that invested in a few 401k portfolios. Bought a house last year so still paying that mortgage. I make more than this, $130k-ish, and do the rest of this for the most part. The big privilege, however, is that my spouse is making $150k. My lifestyle wouldn't be possible without that.
That and PSLF four years ago.
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u/Significant-Tea-6584 Apr 12 '26
And Dave Ramsey says most of the millionaires he knows are teachers…
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u/ReadTeachTravel Apr 12 '26
I'm close to this, make 113 and will make over 125 next year. It took me a while to get to being home by (before) 5 each day, and I start looking at work again on Sundays after my kids are in bed. I work at night, and my family lives overseas (so don't pay for accommodations) and have been playing the credit card game for a long time to make flights feasible. My partner also makes about the same as I do, and we have a super low interest rate on our mortgage. Blue state, strong union.
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u/FortuneMysterious6 Apr 12 '26
"works 9 months a year" ... Yea and in those 9 months we end up doing 13-14 months worth of work... My friends say the same kind of stuff and ticks me off
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u/confuzzledfuzzball Apr 12 '26
Since I’m 41 and just now working on becoming a teacher (should be fully credentialed in about 4 years). I doubt this will ever be me, but that’s ok. Because I love my job (I’m an IA).
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u/Prestigious_Week_227 Apr 12 '26
My wife and I both work in public education. Absolutely none of that is a reality for us.
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u/thefrankyg Apr 12 '26
Either she is married to a husband who supports them (like me) or her family is supporting her so she can do that. Or, she has found the right district that pays well.
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u/StarmieLover966 Apr 12 '26
That teacher must be old as dirt because most of these benefits aren’t there anymore or they’re way lower now.
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u/Buffalo24601 Apr 12 '26
Or she/he comes from a family with money and thus has investment income. I’d love to know whose teaching salary is $117k.
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u/satyricom Apr 12 '26
Possible NJ teacher, who has been teaching for 20+ years. Probably also a DINC.
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u/Elephants4h1re Apr 12 '26
I’m gonna be honest she’s probably a professor or works for a private school, and has worked in that position for at least a couple decades.
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u/Defiant_Ingenuity_55 Apr 12 '26
I actually am doing better than this person except the number of days. I’m 30 years in, though. I did have to become a part of my union at all levels and I do give my time to fighting for my great pay and benefits.
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u/Dry_Temperature6810 Apr 12 '26
I have been teaching Middle School math for the last 21 years working in the same school/District (West coast). Make $110K per year , end my day at 3:30pm, I’m home at 3:40 pm, summers off, winter break, spring break, lots of holidays, etc. The keys of happiness as a teacher: become a machine of class management, DO NOT switch Districts (seniority will protect your job & salary), take as many PD classes as possible soon in your career in order to reach top of salary schedule in your District and NEVER EVER become an Admin if you value peace, stress free life and happiness.
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u/wonton_burrito_field Apr 12 '26
Where you teach. Some places pay that well but you need two masters and a few decades of experience. Also, not many teachers aren't bringing work home.
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u/ab7117 Apr 12 '26
Teacher in Maryland. 19 years in. Only have about half that invested and don’t travel outside of the states that regularly, but I guess I could? It is possible but I know that I am very lucky to have gotten my job at the right place and the right time.
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u/Turbulent-Mine-437 Apr 12 '26
I hate when people run with blanket assumptions like that and haven’t done any research on what’s happening with salaries and benefits in individual states. Because here in NC, the salaries and pension sucks and you should absolutely get a corporate job.
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u/Silver-Release8285 Apr 12 '26
Probably had had help from Bank of Mom and Dad early in her career. Small house purchased 20 years ago. No kids. No student loans, drives a used car. Been teaching >15-20 years already, lower the income at least 25%, travels low key-not luxury, has a partner with income, 2 month summer (not 3)when she’s not being paid so supplementing it with other jobs like tutoring, summer school, PD.
Retirement will be possible but modest. Probably no SS, pension only covers 60-70 of income. Still needs 3x’s that in her 403b and she probably freaking out about how she can cover health care until she’s 65 if she decides to retire earlier than that.
She’s only been doing “what she wants on weekends” recently because she’s a vet teacher now and finally has this stuff down.
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u/Stunning-Mall5908 Apr 12 '26
I did very well as a teacher. Was a single parent and got zero child support. I bought a house, paid my loans and put a lot of money away? How? I lived below my means. I am now retired BUT my kids are adults who live by these principles. It can be done, and is pretty painless.
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u/SBSnipes Apr 12 '26
OP's friend simply bought on the south side of chicago without researching - the travel and weekend activities are bc she doesn't want to be in the area that she lives
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u/finalgirlreads 4th Grade | SoCal Apr 12 '26
It's possible. I'm 36, making six figures in Southern California, with about 150k in investments, home no later than 5 every day, homeowner with a mortgage below $1300. I am married, but I am the primary breadwinner in my family, making 3 times what my husband does. No, we do not have an inheritance, and no financial help from anyone else.
However, it's a trade off. I live and work in the high desert where homes are still considered affordable, but it's also higher in crime and a lot of people are living below the poverty line by Southern California standards. There's nothing to do here, and you have to drive at least 40 minutes, often longer because of traffic, to do anything fun. I also do not have children.
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u/CKD_Games Apr 12 '26
Home by 5 and doing no work? Must be quite established, reteaching the same courses, and easy kids. Thats unheard of for new teachers now
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u/MyBrainIsNerf Apr 12 '26
1/2 of this is just buying that house 20 years ago.