Why are teachers and college teachers paid at such a low salary?

Question

Shouldn't they be paid more since they're helping shape their skills they will use for the rest of their life or something?

What do you think?

Sorry if this is a dumb question.

Answer 1

They should be paid more I agree but remember, you do get 2 to 3 months off so that salary is for nine months only. My daughter is starting teaching next year and hopes she is up for the challenge, people do not pick this career for the money, they pick it to help people get ready to make it in the world.

Answer 2

This is not a dumb question. In fact, it makes a lot of sense to ask it. The best answer I've been able to come up with is this: Typically, teaching is thought of as a service profession. (Just like cops, public utitlty workers, nurses, etc) These jobs are ones that, at one time, were low pay, but high respect and good benefits. As education evolves, schools are being treated more like businesses, but the pay has not "gotten there" yet, and most likely never will. Some people believe that teachers only work 9 months, but I've never met one that did not spend most of the summer working for free to be ready for the next school year. People also overlook the costs of teaching including ongoing education and teaching aids and supplies.

Answer 3

Prices for things (including salaries) are not based on their 'value' in that sense.

For example, water is perhaps the most critical thing any of us buy, yet its cheap, while diamonds, which are pretty much useless, are very expensive. Why? Because clean drinking water (in the developed world) is plentiful and inexpensive to produce, while diamonds are rare and so people have to compete (with money) for them.

Teacher's salaries are set, roughly, by supply and demand for teachers. There is in fact a huge demand for teachers (much like there's a big demand for food or water) - the number of teachers in developed countries, and _total_ amounts spent on education are high. But the supply of potential teachers is also extremely high. Teaching is a very popular profession for a number of reasons: it can be rewarding, it can make use of university degrees in fields that are very popular but lead directly to few other professions, it has attractive hours, especially for parents seeking work life balance.

The reality is that teachers are probably paid less because it is important work. People _like_ to do rewarding and important work, so you need to offer a higher salary to get people to do work that is tedious.

Basically, salaries are high if the work is difficult, few people can do it, and or people don't want to do the work. Those in combination pay very well. For example, many people view corporate tax law as boring. Furthermore, it requires a lot of schooling in difficult subjects. So the salary needs to be high in order to attract capable people to the field. By contrast, people enjoy being, say, lifeguards. Life guards are important - they literally save people's lives. But many people are qualfied, more could be qualified easily, and the work is attractive. Thus the salary is low - a low salary is enough to attract qualified applicants.

Answer 4

it is only the part timers, those who just got thier ph. D, are the ones that get low salary. Other than that, once you are in a tenure track, you get a decent money. And if you really want money you should look into get a job in companies not in shcool. English teachers who want more money can go to law schools, and biology teacher who want more money can go to med school. School system is a business, too. They want to give their employees(teachers) as small amount money as possible, while they could keep the rest.

Answer 5

My opinion is that they are not that underpaid, since it is one of the few professions let where you get a full pension and medical benefits.

Other professions earn more, but those individuals need to save more of there money for retirement.

Plus, in general, teachers work less hours (summer off).

I have not worked out the math, but they are probably still a little unpaid compared to other professions.

Answer 6

Actually, that is a myth. The average income for a household in the US is a little over $40,000 per year. The average salaries for teachers is in the low $50,000's. Keep in mind, also, that teachers don't generally work a full year, what with having summers off, and breaks during the year. They actually do quite well.

Of course, brand new teachers make less, and that is as it should be. We all have to start at the bottom, and as we grow and gain experience we get paid more.

Answer 7

I definitely think we're underpaid (I'm a teacher.), but I doubt it will ever get much better. Who wants to pay significantly higher taxes? I haven't found anyone.

Answer 8

we need more teachers in the world.for privite school there is no such kind of problems.but for public schools which countries are poor it changes.

Answer 9

Because each culture 'votes' on what is important by where they spend their $$ . . . in USA people give the $$ to sports stars and entertainers.

Answer 10

it's true. teach for america is one program.