Most teachers like teaching, enjoy the flexible work schedule, live comfortably and are no more likely to quit their profession than accountants or social workers, writes Chad Aldeman.
He cites Get the Facts Out, a campaign launched by the Colorado School of Mines and six national STEM societies to persuade more young people to become teachers.
Nearly half of science, technology, engineering and math majors consider becoming a K-12 teacher, an American Physical Society survey found in 2017. Many cite the low pay. But they "underestimate teacher compensation, and the salaries they report would interest them in teaching are close to actual salaries."
Americans wildly underestimate how many teachers earn, writes Aldeman. The National Education Association reports the average teacher salary was $66,745 in 2021-22, the latest data available.
"Teacher job satisfaction is high and has been remarkably stable over time, even during the pandemic and its aftermath," writes Aldeman, who analyzed the long-running General Social Survey.
According to Census Bureau data compiled by USA Facts, K-12 teachers do not have high attrition compared to other workers. They "stayed in their chosen profession at similar rates as civil engineers, social workers, postsecondary teachers and police officers."
Get the Facts Out also tells STEM majors that middle- and high-school science and math teachers get paid more than most college teaching faculty, and can find jobs anywhere in the U.S. or overseas. "Most teaching jobs have better retirement benefits than other jobs you can get with the same degree."