Hey OP, sorry you are going through this. Academia increasingly is a hellhole. Have you checked out The Professor Is Out group on Facebook? (I know…). Lots of folks talking about leaving academia and how they did it including single parent families wrestling with issues similar to yours. If you do a search for your specific field you may find some good info on what types of careers folks have moved into. It’s private and you can ask questions anonymously. Best of luck to you! |
Sorry OP. It's a tough situation. A lot of people are not aware that even good R1s pay really low salaries to tenured faculty (across the board, even in STEM).
Is it possible for you to get in touch with alumni from your PhD program? I would start connecting with people on LinkedIn and seeing where they ended up. The market (as a whole) is not really great now, and I think a referral could help. Or at least, it could help you understand your options. You might want to pay someone to review your resume and help you prep for interviews. Maybe this is a controversial take. I don't think the tuition benefits are a super compelling reason to stay. Most likely, if your salary is not great anyway, your kids could qualify for need-based aid. There are so many ways they could minimize their debt (that I won't go into). Conversely, maybe your kids will want to go elsewhere for their degree... But I don't know their ages, and whether this has been discussed with them already. |
+1. Do your research. My spouse is teacher in public school in suburbia and makes 100k a year. We are doing just fine on a dual income. |
Also a professor and the halls in my building are empty. I earn the same salary as a full professor that my 25 year old daughter earns with a BA. I believe all the faculty where I work have second and even third jobs. The people Who lose out in this scenario are the parents who pay outrageous tuition for this mess!! |
Sorry you're experiencing this, OP. Can you share your field of study? That would help us brainstorm ideas for you. |
Way more accessible than coding. Could be a CNA not RN. |
Sounds like it! Since AI can now do the coding jobs but we still need actual people with real hands for nursing (for now) |
That is seriously messed up. |
No, it can't. |
What kind of roles have you been targeting? Which skills do you have that you feel transfer to corporate or non profits?
What skills do you need to acquire or get training on? What kind of salary are you aiming for, knowing that you have a chance to increase it over say the next 10 years? Ie are you willing to start at a job that pays say, 70k for two years? What body of knowledge are you expert in? What kind of environment do you want to work in? What about travel, how much? What about work that asks you to pull in evenings or weekends during peak periods? Are you prepared to work for someone younger than you, maybe someone in their mid to late 30s? |
Pretty sure DC high school teachers do make a living wage. DCPS teachers also make more than private school teachers. Private schools are known for paying less than public (fewer certification requirements, more freedom in teaching, more restricted student body). But I have friends who have done post-PhD teacher transition programs in MD and make more now than when they were in academia. OP, if you're actually interested look into those. |
PS I also know people who have gone into instructional design careers or corporate/government training, which is pretty independent of the academic field because its based on adult teaching experience. It's really hard to get a remote job in those fields right now, they're pretty saturated, but if you can find local in office opportunities you might be pretty competitive.
Otherwise we can't help without knowing what field you're in. But if you just wanted to vent...that's fine. It's a mess. Vent away! |
OP, can you get your kid/s through college, and solidify whatever pension you have coming to you, and in the process start getting accredited in something else? I don't think it would be too hard to get a teaching certificate in your area of expertise while still working. Public schools pay better than private and have benefits. And we all know public schools are desperate for teachers.
In fact, I would think a public would take you on a probationary period in your area while you get your certificate. I think it would be harder to pivot to nursing unless you are teaching something like biology given the medical requirements to get certified. And I'm not sure how the pay compares to just become a medical tech. |
I would take up SAT tutoring / editing college essay applications as a side hustle. |
Get a tutoring or academic coach side hustle gig. Pays well. |