🌅 Most Teachers in the U.S. Have a Second Job

SOURCE

Walton Family Foundation

WHAT TO KNOW

• A new report by the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup found 71% of U.S. public K-12 teachers hold at least one additional job, including 33% with a second job unrelated to education, like rideshare, food delivery, or running a side business. Of the teachers who have another job, 85% say the work takes place at least partially during the school year, compared to just 15% who report working their second job only during school breaks.

WHY IT MATTERS

• The report found 21% of teachers say it’s difficult to get by on their present income, while 52% report having enough to get by and 28% say they live comfortably. Teachers who find it difficult to get by are more likely to report feeling burned out (52% of financially strained teachers say they’re very often or always burned out at work) than those who report getting by (41%) and those who live comfortably (34%). Financially strained teachers are also less likely to plan on remaining in the classroom: 49% plan to teach for the rest of their careers, compared to 54% of teachers who report getting by and 63% who live comfortably.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• Data from the National Education Association shows American teachers earned an average of $72,030 during the 2023-24 school year (the latest available data), up 3.8% from the year prior but still down 5% from a decade ago (adjusted for inflation). Other research shows the pay penalty for teachers—the gap between the wages of teachers and other workers with similar education and years of work experience—reached a record 26.9% in 2024, up from 6.1% in 1996.