To think midwife’s get a rubbish deal compared to teachers?

[Midwifeacher]

Both should earn more than they do, obviously. My sister is trying to choose between midwifery and teaching. Both seem so different but she wants a guaranteed career and is trying to decide which route to take. I’ve been running comparisons with her.Whats shocked me is what a shoddy deal midwifes seem to get. Before taking into account that obviously, sadly, it carry huge emotional weight when things go wrong. Not entirely comparable in profession but why would anyone do this job?

Starting salary:
Midwife - £29,970
Teacher - £32,916

Highest salary without going into leadership
Midwife - £42,618
Teacher - £45,321

Holidays:
Teacher - 13 weeks plus term time bank holidays (though some unpaid, this is included in above salary) major holidays off, no flexibility to take term time off
Midwife - 27 days plus bank holidays, often work major holidays, can book time off when needed, though hard to get approval.

Pension (employer contribution):
Teacher - 28.6%
Midwife - 23.7%

Shifts:
Teacher - 6.5 hour shift mon-fri daytime (student facing) lots of reported overtime
Midwife - 12 hour shift inc evenings and weekends (patient facing) lots of reported overtime

AIBU to think midwives are getting a crap deal? Is it because they’re not as unionised?

also she’s obviously not basing which career she goes for on the above factors, but it has to be taken into consideration!

I think you could change midwife for just nhs staff to be fair. But, it’s apples and oranges and pitting one profession against another never ends well.

Teachers have to train for longer than midwives to become fully qualified.

They seem pretty similar to me. It's not like comparing a teacher with a lawyer, with similar education and hours.

Sorry but
midwives

You have the pay wrong btw.
Top of band 6 for a midwife is around £46000 outside London!

You can do an undergraduate BEd with QTS in three years, there are many different routes, but it isn’t a four year teaching degree. Midwifery / nursing / physio / radiography / etc etc are three years just learning to do the role.

Grow up

I agree, and of course the teachers get long holidays and go home at 15:30.

It's just not fair, is it?

This did make me chuckle a little. My first thought was that a teacher could have prevented this.

But midwives need specific midwifery 2-3 year degree courses, teachers seem to just need just 9 months PGCE after any degree. If you do midwifery post degree, it’s 80 week course minimum. why is the training more with becoming a teacher? Or have we got this wrong!

How so? I thought both were three year undergrad degrees?

I agree both underpaid & both with a lot of responsibility .

Teacher overtime is considerable - and they certainly don't only work a 6.5 HR shift. I don't know any that are in school daily for less than 8 hrs & all work considerable additional unpaid (& mostly unrecognised) hours on top of this.
I believe midwives are paid for their overtime?

I’m sure on Scotland the starting wage for a teacher is not far off national living wage I know someone recently who qualified and it was like 24k around that area maybe 24.5k xxxx

Is band 6 not leadership?
headteachers can earn up to £140k so I excluded all leadership as I imagine once you go into leadership in either role, your workload will be immense!

Midwives are heavily unionised.

They have their own trade union, Royal College of Midwives. Some might be members of RCN or UNISON.

Teachers work excessive additional hours to what you quoted.

However, I would argue both roles are seriously underpaid.

UPS is teachers with some responsibilities above "just" classroom teaching. It might be being a trainee mentor, or a whole school role.

They're pretty similar imo. Swings and roundabouts re perceived perks.

I don't like pitting professionals against each other.

I don't know if all your other facts are correct or the arrangements for midwives to write up their patient notes but teachers' directed time is 1265 hours, which includes all class-facing time, some planning and recording time, Parents Consultations and a small amount of contingency time, with no teacher ever reporting that it is enough time to do all their preparation and record-keeping. That is quite a long way from the 6.5 hors per day that you reported.

Also I don't know why you think that teachers aren't paid for bank holidays. A teacher's annual f/t salary is based on 1265 hours over 195 days in school, paid in 12 monthly instalments. P/t teachers are entitled to pro rata BH pay.

I think you’re really selling the teaching career. Hope she listens to you. You’re obviously wanting the best for her.

Midwives who work 12.5 hour shifts generally work 3 days per week and 1 4 day week = 37.5 hours.

there pay at top band 6 is near 47k and some midwives start on B6.

due to the hours there is a lot of scope for overtime and using AL wisely allows for more holidays combined with days off.

the emotional toll is massive but the emotional reward equally as so. The empowerment you get to give women is not measurable in any other profession (IMO) to bring life into the world is one of the most amazing things

when midwifery works and you don’t work in a toxic environment it is the best job in the world

I thought midwives, nurses etc only worked 3 shifts a week as their shifts were 12hrs long?

Cross posted with PP

My questions would be what she likes about both roles?

Band 6 midwives aren’t management, that would be 7 and above.

Midwives are unionised.

Both are stressful, underpaid and not appreciated enough. If your sister wants a stress free, easy, well paid job where she is appreciated then neither role is for her.

Vastly different callings and use different abilities.
I cuddle be a mw. No way could I be a teacher.

AFAIK midwives don't work five 12 hour shifts a week either, so I wonder how many of your other facts are incorrect.

Well the teachers’ holiday is higher than everyone - it’s not midwives getting a raw deal, they get a standard amount of holiday.

And the midwives’ pension employer contribution is hardly peanuts!

Ah ok, in which case I undersold teacher salary too. UPS outside of London caps off at £51,048.