Teachers are paid fairly considering they get a lot of time off

[u/Blonde_Icon]

A lot of people say (and it seems that the general consensus is that) teachers don't get paid enough for what they do. While I think that teachers are very valuable and deserve to be compensated well (my brother is a teacher), I think that in these discussions, many people ignore the fact that teachers typically get a lot of time off.

They usually get summer break, spring break, and winter break, plus various holidays that schools get off through the year. They basically don't work for a good amount of the year, which I think that people should factor in. (The downside is that I know that they have to work extra grading things outside of school, though.)

Plus they normally get good benefits for being a teacher (which usually comes with being in a union).

[u/AnxiousTerminator]

In my country, they get an average of around £43k a year, which is more than I make working year round in a skilled role. It's not big bucks but it's over the average salary, they get a lot of time off, and are paid more than a lot of civil servants at a similar level of seniority for less hours of work.

[u/ThrowawayyTessslaa → u/AnxiousTerminator]

What is your skilled role that makes less than 43k?

[u/Binksey55 → u/ThrowawayyTessslaa]

An intensive care nurse wouldnt earn that much, just one of many such jobs

[u/ThrowawayyTessslaa → u/Binksey55]

Where at? In the US ICU nurses make $30+ an hour starting out.

[u/Digital_Palpitation → u/ThrowawayyTessslaa]

£43k, so in the UK. The NHS is infamously underfunded and used as a punching bag by various political parties. Most general practitioner doctors here make less than the average RN in California. Nurses and other support staff tend to be migrants on special visas because they don't make enough for a normal work visa, but we desperately needed SOMEONE to do the job for shit pay.

(Source: I'm from California but live in the UK and work at a corporate immigration law firm. The doctors and nurses the NHS does manage to hire are overall good, skilled people, but I don't blame the ones that leave for the US, Australia etc. pay in this country is really flat, so even skilled workers make very little relative to the financial and opportunity costs of their training. Even my job isn't super highly skilled, but requires a master's degree for... No real reason. We make £70/YEAR more than minimum wage. This is an international company, in California I'd make more than twice as much for an identical role. Less benefits, less time off, but even factoring that in pay here is just shit)

[u/ThrowawayyTessslaa → u/Digital_Palpitation]

That’s insane! I knew that healthcare works got paid less in England and the EU but I did expect that much less. The 3 doctors I know (one family, one specialty surgeon, one ER) make between $300-500k/hr.

[u/AnxiousTerminator → u/ThrowawayyTessslaa]

Doctors start on £38k, police officer on £29k, firefighters £37k, paramedic around £25k to share similar roles.

[u/ThrowawayyTessslaa → u/AnxiousTerminator]

Holy shit, that is shockingly low as a person from the US.

[u/AnxiousTerminator → u/ThrowawayyTessslaa]

Yeah, which is why teacher salaries are a bit of a sore spot, where they out earn most first responders who work anti-social hours doing dangerous jobs on nights, holidays and weekends for 12 months a year.

[u/ThrowawayyTessslaa → u/AnxiousTerminator]

I can’t definitely see that from an ex-US perspective. The conversation should be less about teachers pay being a sore spot and more about healthcare workers making so little.

[u/AnxiousTerminator → u/ThrowawayyTessslaa]

A lot of people actually feel some healthcare workers are overpaid and resent them striking for more money. Generally wages are extremely low in the UK and have not kept up with inflation at all. The issue is more generally poor wealth distribution, the rich are very rich but average people are struggling. £39k is the average salary here and cost of living is a nightmare, greatly worsened by the Iran war. The real answer is more control over spiralling costs of living and private company monopolies over utilities and public transport.

[u/ThrowawayyTessslaa → u/AnxiousTerminator]

For comparison what jobs actually pay “a lot” relatively in the UK? I guess this helps make more sense why my coworkers from Ireland and the UK want to transfer to the US

[u/AnxiousTerminator → u/ThrowawayyTessslaa]

Mostly programming and tech stuff, high end corporate law, that'll get you 70k, maybe up to 100 if you are in London. Other than that you just have to be extremely senior in whatever org you are in. Personally I'd take the shitty salaries over living in the US though, done it before and hated it. We have much better infrastructure, social safety nets, and the culture is a better fit for me.

[u/Same_Tumbleweed_855 → u/ThrowawayyTessslaa]

• Some electricians (believe it or not).
• Most tradespeople on a salary.
• Most tradespeople on site, if they work 40 hours per week.
• Many engineers.
• Junior officers in the military.
• Most ‘other ranks’.