To think teachers are quite well paid?

[Newyearnewnameforme]

Not intended goadily but my salary is more than most of my graduate friends.

Obviously, it isn’t Rockefeller standards but AIBU to think it’s actually OK?

I was a mainscale classroom teacher and earned considerably less than that by the time I retired at 60. I left London in the 80s to a place where I could afford to buy a house, and, once the high mortgage rates of the 80s went down it was an adequate salary in my area. A lot depends on where you live.

I think just about all the other graduates in my social circle are teachers, social workers or NHS who have a similar level of salary. I don't know any bankers or hedge fund managers so I can't compare.

It depends on the teacher.

Teachers aren’t generally market aware and people take advantage of that. In addition, teachers are generally quite left wing and do not believe in supply and demand setting pay.

However in the real world a teacher with an average language or politics degree is probably quite well paid compared to their market value. On the other hand a teacher with a good STEM degree from a top university is terribly paid compared to their market value.....which explains why only something like 15% of Physics lessons are taught by physics graduates.

Also starting salaries are quite good but there is very slow pay progression for teachers. Two well paid teachers are unlikely to ever be able to afford a half way decent house. Is that well paid for a ‘professional’?

Why do you keep telling people to report you op? You really do seem spoiling for a fight (ie goady)!

I think it’s well paid. I was in another public sector role and earned near that ( bottom of the scale though but paid any overtime I worked).
DH is private sector though and earns double my wage so it’s all relative.

£47k is on leadership spine, point 8. For context, there are primary heads of schools on only a little more than this.

There are primary Heads of school on less than this too

I started as Head of school on L6.

These threads annoy me. It’s not fucking race to the bottom. Just because uncle Fred’s second cousin removed is earning 3p an hour and is grateful doesn’t mean it’s on anyone else is

ohprettybaby other roles. Looking around my friends I’m thinking accountancy and computer programming but that’s just my social circle.

OP you are aware that it’s not possible for all teachers to go into leadership as that just wouldn’t work. A lot of teachers, especially the good ones teach because they like the teaching.

Thanks for giving the impression to the teacher bashers on here, that we're all on such good salaries.

You seem to blame people for 'choosing' to remain as class teachers. If you're in primary teaching, unless you plan to be a head, the option to be earning what you're on simply isn't there.

You're in London and earning pretty much the maximum that a teacher can earn. Good for you. But don't extrapolate that to everyone else.

Oh come on you know that's not the average teachers salary 🙄

Honey but you chose to stay as a classroom teacher, didn’t you?

Well not everyone can be a HOD or SMT, there needs to be a lot of classroom teachers. People choose to go in to teaching because they want to teach, but to earn decent money they have to stop classroom teaching and become a manager.

I was a HoF in an independent school earning about £42k. But a totally toxic work environment meant that I left at the end of last academic year and am now part time in the state sector, no management allowances etc earning around £23k. I could probably earn more in another line of business if I were prepared to lose the school holidays, which I’m not. I don’t think I’m badly paid, and certainly didn’t feel that way when I was full time.

the salary isn't bad, the amount of hours they are expected to put in puts them below minimum hourly wage (marking, planning etc).

Many jobs outwith the public sector have a similar problem.

But for this calculation to be true, your average teachers would be working ten hours every day of the year, including every day of the 13 weeks of holidays they get. Seems they are exaggerating somewhat to make the point they don’t work the hours people think they do.

I’m not at all elizabeth, honestly, but when people accuse me of just being here to goad (I’m not) it turns the thread into a fight.

So if people genuinely believe the thread is just goady or provocative on purpose (it’s not but that’s up to you) rather than repeatedly saying that so a discussion can’t take place, it’s best to report it and let MN decide.

sara I’m not blaming anyone, but we make choices in life and I don’t think anyone can expect to go into the same role they did at 22 and be on a huge salary. I’m not being horrible, it’s just what I think.

CHOSE to remain JUST a classroom teacher!!!

Ooh, but you do reveal yourself there.

Nasty. I hope you are trolling. I feel really sorry for the mere classroom teachers you apparently manage whilst feeling so superior, so dismissive of them and their piss poor lack of ambition.

While it's good to see a satisfied teacher thread here for a change, the salary mentioned wouldn't entice me to teach and I say that as someone part-time on average earnings. I wouldn't trade places with teachers I know as they are so frequently exhausted from the job. It's good that you are satisfied with your salary though!
I also agree with previous posters, that most decent teachers are putting in so many hours that even a decent pay package works out as a pittance.

I'm a teacher - small responsibility and work part time. I feel satisfied with my pay but I do feel that my workload is high - I work most evenings and will probably work on my days off once my youngest child goes to school.

I'm a very well paid teacher. In a private international school as a HoD. But I came to teach here because the money was shit at home even when I was HoD.
On your salary in the UK I would guess you HoD of a core subject and/or on the leadership scale.

Do I curious ok then.

I’ve concluded you CANNOT have a thread about teaching on MN. happy new year.

I think salaries for teaching are shockingly low. A very small proportion of teachers will have the opportunity to progress into leadership and for me the pay does not match the input.

It's why most of us who are qualified in STEM subjects steer well away from it as we can earn towards the upper end of a teaching salary scale for standard 9 to 5 roles with little responsibility.

Compared to teachers salaries in other countries they are low and the working conditions are not as nice. There is something wrong with teachers terms and conditions especially at secondary. There is a huge shortage, yet there isnt a shortage of people who are qualified to do the job. They are heading off to do other things. Is it pay or is it conditions or a mix of both? I dont know, but i do know that my childrens education has been damaged by the retention crisis.

OP please don’t put yourself down by saying you don’t have the brains or talent to work in the city. I work in financial services and get paid (not earn, please note) a lot more than you, but I would say I don’t have the aptitude, ability or talent to teach. Society values the wrong things I think, you’re of much more worth to society than me, and should get paid more.

I’m not cats, realistically I know I couldn’t ever work in financial services. I don’t think I’m worth much to society! To my own children and family obviously, but that’s different.

£47k is a good salary. Hardly any teachers earn that.

If you want to have a nice conversation about teaching op I'd suggest the staffroom as opposed to aibu.
I am still of the belief that you are being a tad mischievous. And no, I am not going to report you!

Your lack of understanding of why people think you're just looking for a reaction rather than a genuine discussion is a bit worrying for somebody who holds a senior position within a school.

Your OP's title refers to 'teachers', but you're actually referring to a HOD's salary which of course is a lot higher. If you were a classroom teacher on £30k(?), it would have come across as a genuine question.