Average salary for teachers is $63k, across all states. In NY or CA, it is about $85k [1]. This does not include benefits (e.g., health care or a ~$50k/y pensio

Average salary for teachers is $63k, across all states. In NY or CA, it is about $85k [1]. This does not include benefits (e.g., health care or a ~$50k/y pension for retirement at age 60 [2]) And there are 2.5 months in the summer for r&r or for working additional jobs [3]. You need two wage earners to be solidly middle class, but this is not a "grossly underpaid" profession. For comparison, a university engineering professor salary in Netherlands starts at 65k euros ($77k). Bottomline: teaching is not going to make you rich but you aren't grossly underpaid. [1] https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d20/tables/dt20_211.60.asp?current.asp https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d20/tables/dt20_211.60.a... [2] https://www.teacherpensions.org/states https://www.teacherpensions.org/states [3] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2019/07/11/teachers-summer-break-jobs-work-living-wage/1524677001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2019/07/11/tea...