Why are teachers underpaid?

Year after year, studies show high-performing teachers deliver high-performing students. So why do teachers remain so underpaid?

The full answers are complicated and often local. But here’s 7 critical facts about teacher pay.

• The national average teacher salary for the 2020-21 school year is $65,090—a 1.5% increase from the previous year.

• The #RedforEd movement, which began in 2018, encouraged protests and strikes for higher wages and more funding.

• 15 states, both red and blue, have either “proposed raising teacher pay or already done so, part of an effort to combat a national teacher shortage that’s been brewing for years.”

• However, careers dominated by women pay “less on average than those with higher proportions of men” and “enjoy less prestige.” 

• Teachers make about 20% less than other professionals with similar education and experience. In many parts of the country, teachers live below the family living wage.

• Up to a quarter of teachers leave the profession every year and about 20% resort to second jobs.

Bright gets teachers

We can help you make ends meet. Bright studies your spending habits and moves funds and makes card payments when it makes sense for you. 

Bright finds the fastest, smartest way to get you debt free, while boosting your credit score and building more savings. 

It only takes 2 minutes. Just download the Bright app from the App Store or Google Play. Link your checking account and your cards, set a few goals and let Bright get to work!

Recommended Readings:

How to survive financially as a teacher

Financial Planning for Teachers: 7 smart tips