Is it possible to support a family in this area on a teacher's salary?

[Anonymous]

Is anyone here a teacher and the sole breadwinner of the family?

Do you know of any teachers in the DC area who have families and live off of just one income?

[Anonymous]

I have a good friend who was a public school teacher in MoCo married to a public school teacher. She is now a SAHM (twin boys and a preschooler). Her DH is a teacher and he does all the extras: coaching, summer school, the local enrichment coordinator, etc. It's hard, but they make ends meet. They live in a small house, not in a close-in area and would never consider private schools. When her younger DD is in school full time she will go back to work. Their older boys have some special needs relating to being preemies so they need the services offered by the public schools anyway.

We live in FCPS and I know that a lot of the teachers in our school (near Fairfax hospital) are almost all either young (mid 20s) and unmarried or else mid 40s+. There are not many who are 30-45 and have small kids. Many become SAHMs when they have kids because they can't afford to pay child care and continue working or simply choose to SAH. There are also many who live in far western Fairfax (Centerville), Loudon, Prince William or Fauquier counties. A lot of the teachers have hour+ commutes to teach in FCPS. I would assume MoCo is similar.

[Anonymous]

You could probably do it in upper Montgomery County. I know a lot of MoCo teachers who live in Howard County, which has good schools and much cheaper real estate.

[Anonymous]

I posted on the previous thread and I think it is possible if you bought a house before the housing boom (pre 2000). My BIL and SIL bought a house in N. Arlington for $180,000 in 1997. They are not teachers, but with a mortgage like that, I think they could live on $70,000/year if they were frugal. Of course today those same houses are selling for the mid-$500,000s, so a teacher would not be able to afford that without any other significant income.

[Anonymous]

This is interesting. In some parts of the country, the teachers are the ones with the high incomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting. In some parts of the country, the teachers are the ones with the high incomes.

Arkansas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone here a teacher and the sole breadwinner of the family?

Do you know of any teachers in the DC area who have families and live off of just one income?

No, I don't think so, unless you are e.g. willing to live in a small apartment in an exurb.

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher and a single parent -- we do OK on just one income. We have a nice rented house in an up and coming neighborhood in DC, and enough money for my daughter to attend camp and a variety of afterschool activities. We take a vacation every summer. I'm a veteran teacher, and was pretty high up the pay scale before my daughter came along, I put less into retirement than I might

I spend a fortune on quality child care for summers (yes, I work summers too) and afterschool. I think I could probably support a second adult if I didn't have that expense (e.g. if I had a SAH spouse) or a second child if I were willing to compromise there, or if my children attended my school.

I look at my friends with law degrees or other professional degrees and I feel like I don't make much, especially for the long hours I work. But, I make far more than most of my students families and realize that in this economy I'm doing just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting. In some parts of the country, the teachers are the ones with the high incomes.

Arkansas?

$42k/yr average, so unlikely.

In what part of the country is a teacher the one with the high income? CT has the highest paid teachers, at just under $70k average...in the same places were the hedge fund managers were buying houses for $110 million. So it's not there, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and a single parent -- we do OK on just one income. We have a nice rented house in an up and coming neighborhood in DC, and enough money for my daughter to attend camp and a variety of afterschool activities. We take a vacation every summer. I'm a veteran teacher, and was pretty high up the pay scale before my daughter came along, I put less into retirement than I might

I spend a fortune on quality child care for summers (yes, I work summers too) and afterschool. I think I could probably support a second adult if I didn't have that expense (e.g. if I had a SAH spouse) or a second child if I were willing to compromise there, or if my children attended my school.

I look at my friends with law degrees or other professional degrees and I feel like I don't make much, especially for the long hours I work. But, I make far more than most of my students families and realize that in this economy I'm doing just fine.[/quote]

Another teacher here. Totally agree with this. I teach ESOL and I think some of my students' would fall over if they knew how much I made - even though it is "only" $65,500 a year. Many people get by on much less around here even with both parents working, so yes, it is possible to support a family on a teachers' salary - especially once you have some experience and are getting paid pretty well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting. In some parts of the country, the teachers are the ones with the high incomes.

Arkansas?

$42k/yr average, so unlikely.

In what part of the country is a teacher the one with the high income? CT has the highest paid teachers, at just under $70k average...in the same places were the hedge fund managers were buying houses for $110 million. So it's not there, either.

If you just take a look at two other posts, you would get it. Hedge fund managers are not the only ones with children. My friend grew up in Danbury CT, his father was a carpenter, and he always told me that teachers were rich there.

[Anonymous]

It really depends on how long you've been teaching and if you already have an affordable home/living arrangement, nest egg, etc. You can see the MCPS payscale online. My sister has been teaching for 15 years and makes a nice salary --- but her husband works and makes a nice salary as well. I'm sure if I asked her if they could make it on her salary alone (which is just under 6 figures) she would say no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting. In some parts of the country, the teachers are the ones with the high incomes.

Arkansas?

$42k/yr average, so unlikely.

In what part of the country is a teacher the one with the high income? CT has the highest paid teachers, at just under $70k average...in the same places were the hedge fund managers were buying houses for $110 million. So it's not there, either.

Here's a list of states where the average teacher salary is higher than the average household income. Hey! Look at Maryland and D.C.!

States in bold have average teacher salaries that are higher than average household income AND average home prices less than 3 times the average teacher salary.

Alabama
Arkansas
D.C.
Florida
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
West Virginia

Does making an above average salary and being able to own an above average home make you "rich" or "high income"? No, but it's certainly a comfortable position in which to be raising children.

[Anonymous]

PP- Wouldn't you agree that there is a HUGE difference in the cost of living between Maryland and DC and say, Arkansas?

[Anonymous]

I live in the Baltimore area (which many in the DC area see as affordable) but TONS of teachers make the commute to S. PA b/c they can't afford to live here.