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Again, what does "up into the 6 figures" mean for both teacher and military officer pay? Because I am unable to find a source for total benefits for software d

Again, what does "up into the 6 figures" mean for both teacher and military officer pay? Because I am unable to find a source for total benefits for software developer. Microsoft, as another Seattle-area company, offers 50% matching contributions to 401(k), stock and cash bonuses, child daycare accounts, life insurance, public transit card, and more. But other companies will differ. Do you have any better numbers? You must have some idea, in order to judge that software developers have worse benefits than Seattle public school teachers. A lot of government employees get pensions like public school teachers do, so what else do teachers have which makes it likely the best benefits package of any profession? What am I missing? Since stock options, 50% matching to 401(k), etc are worse than what teachers get, what do software developers need to do to get a piece of that sweet pension benefit? Negotiate better? Start a union? Get laws passed? Start online discussions about the poor benefits in software development?

WalterBright 4y ago
The teacher union salaries + benefits are not sustainable. They're a gigantic problem for state governments, and there's a huge overhang of unfunded pension benefits that keeps getting kicked down the road.
- eesmith 4y ago
  While other government employee salaries + benefits are sustainable and funded? What additional benefits do teachers get that make them so special? Nothing stands out when I compare the teacher pension and state patrol pension at https://www.drs.wa.gov/plan/ https://www.drs.wa.gov/plan/ . Military officer pay is up into the 6 figures. Their pension is "monthly annuity for life after 20 years of service. The annuity is based on a calculation of 2% per year served." (https://www.usa.gov/military-pay https://www.usa.gov/military-pay ) which is what TRS-2 does (https://www.drs.wa.gov/plan/trs2/ https://www.drs.wa.gov/plan/trs2/ ) for Washington teachers. Plus veterans get VA access and other benefits. I don't see what makes teachers' benefits so special.

WalterBright 4y ago

The teacher union salaries + benefits are not sustainable. They're a gigantic problem for state governments, and there's a huge overhang of unfunded pension benefits that keeps getting kicked down the road.

eesmith 4y ago
While other government employee salaries + benefits are sustainable and funded? What additional benefits do teachers get that make them so special? Nothing stands out when I compare the teacher pension and state patrol pension at https://www.drs.wa.gov/plan/ https://www.drs.wa.gov/plan/ . Military officer pay is up into the 6 figures. Their pension is "monthly annuity for life after 20 years of service. The annuity is based on a calculation of 2% per year served." (https://www.usa.gov/military-pay https://www.usa.gov/military-pay ) which is what TRS-2 does (https://www.drs.wa.gov/plan/trs2/ https://www.drs.wa.gov/plan/trs2/ ) for Washington teachers. Plus veterans get VA access and other benefits. I don't see what makes teachers' benefits so special.