NEPA teacher salary (Riverside, Penn: insurance, home, find a job)

[rawlife]

I am currently a senior in high school and looking to major in education (French and possibly a specialization in Special Ed). However, I hear is that teachers are underpaid and I also hear that teachers get paid too much in Eastern PA. So, my question is, can a teacher live a comfortable life in NEPA on a teacher's salary? I'm not interested in having a lavish car, "comfortable" in a sense that i can afford rent, insurance, a car payment and maybe still eat out 2-3 times a week and have a little left over.

Thanks for any info!

[thecoalman]

Depends on the district, starting salary is going to be a35 to 40K plus benefits which would include health plan worth about 20K. 70 to 80K in salary with 30 years and a look forward to a nice cushy pension. I think the bigger question becomes if you can get job.

[Magritte25]

You can look at teachers' salaries all across the area here: DATABASE: PA Teacher Profile Database 2010-11 - Data Center - Citizens Voice

Good luck in your future plans!

[Riverside4ever]

My wife has been a teacher for 27 yrs ... I think they do just fine,,, They work 185 days a year and get paid for the whole year , summers off with pay ....

Nothing worth anything comes easy .. If its what you want to do then do it .. You'll find something even if its being a SUB teacher 1st ( its usually the only way into a district )

Good luck... Oh and the health benefits are GREAT ,,, But they end when they retire now .. No more "Lifetime" insurance ..

[padad1]

I'm a teacher and we do just fine. Acquiring a job is the hard part. I have had many student teachers who recently have not been ale to secure a position. Foreign languages are a dying subject but special Ed jobs will always be around. Best of luck. Seems like you have a good head on your shoulders already. You should be fine.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Riverside4ever

My wife has been a teacher for 27 yrs ... I think they do just fine,,, They work 185 days a year and get paid for the whole year , summers off with pay ....

Nothing worth anything comes easy .. If its what you want to do then do it .. You'll find something even if its being a SUB teacher 1st ( its usually the only way into a district )

Good luck... Oh and the health benefits are GREAT ,,, But they end when they retire now .. No more "Lifetime" insurance ..

Your wife needs to explain to you (after 27 years) that her pay in the summer is deferred compensation from the school year, so it's not a "paid" vacation in the true sense of the term.

OP, you'll have to look and see the salary scales, adjoining school systems can vary by as much as 30%. Also, don't look at just the starting pay but also in the out years after you have 5, 10, 15, etc. years. The top end can vary greatly with higher starting pay but lower step raises in the different systems.

Also, PA is going to have to revamp the pension system, if it hasn't already begun to, for new hires. At one time in the not too distant past a PA teacher could retire and draw more from the pension and Social Security than their salary. That's pretty much ended and PA is transitioning to a system more like the one I'm in in MD where the combined pension/SS is around 70% or a bit less. MD also taxes retired pay while PA currently does not.

If things remain the same your majors are now, and will likely remain, in the "critical need" category, Special Ed especially. But, as always, securing that teaching job in PA is the hard part, you may need to expect to have to move.

Nearly thirty years ago I sent out between 240 and 250 applications for a teaching job. I got exactly one interview and the school wouldn't hire me because they figured I'd go back to industry. I ended up in MD at age 30 as a beginning teacher.

[rawlife]

Thanks for all the replies. It seems like finding a job in any career is next to impossible these days.

[mathjak107]

Correct about getting paid in the summer is deferred compensation.

My wifes salary is paid in 10 months with nothing all summer. My daughter has hers divided over 12 months and gets checks over the summer. Its the same amount.

[MatildaLoo]

I think you posted something similar in the NJ forums. It's good that you are looking at all of the states around you.

The thing about PA is that we export teachers. Our state schools have pretty good teachers' programs and districts from all over the country attend career fairs for graduating teachers at the end of the year. Also, PA has certification reciprocity with a lot of other states. You'll need to check with each individual state for exact terms, but here is a list of states with PA certificate reciprocity:

Become a Teacher in Pennsylvania | Teacher Certification in Pennsylvania | Certification Map

From what I have been told from education chairs, PA has some of the highest certification standards. For example, people who are certified in PA can teach in PA and NJ but those who are certified only in NJ cannot teach in PA. That's just what I've been told by several people. I also have friends from NJ who earned their teaching degree in PA and now teach in their home state. Tuition for state schools in PA is cheaper than in NJ so it makes sense.

I also am considering obtaining my teaching degree after years in my current field because it feels like a natural progression for me, so I understand your fears. Teaching is a very portable degree, though, so if you are willing to relocate you should be able to find a job upon graduation.

Here is a list of starting and average salaries by state:

Teacher Salaries By State | Average Salaries For Teachers | Beginning Salaries For Teachers | Teacher Raises | TeacherPortal.com

Good luck!

[MatildaLoo]

Originally Posted by mathjak107

Correct about getting paid in the summer is deferred compensation.

My wifes salary is paid in 10 months with nothing all summer. My daughter has hers divided over 12 months and gets checks over the summer. Its the same amount.

My mother used to put her end-of-year check in the bank and "pay herself" weekly during the summer.