U.S. Teachers’ salaries
Finland’s schools are #1 in the world - but are Finnish teachers properly rewarded for their dedication and hard work? U.S. public schools are constantly under criticism, yet teachers seem to be doing quite well financially. Here’s the Top 5 average teacher salary states with benefits included…
California - average salary: $56,283 + $15,759 benefits = $72,042 total salary
Connecticut - average salary: $55,367 + $14,949 benefits = $70,316 total salary
New Jersey - average salary: $54,158 + $16,247 benefits = $70,405 total salary
Michigan - average salary: $53,563 + $20,354 benefits = $73,917 total salary
New York - average salary: $53,017 + $15,375 benefits = $68,392 total salary
Stats from NEA website, census bureau public education finances 2003, and Reason magazine
What is your message?
Are these peoples salaries paid by tax-incomes? No wonder the U.S. is so in debt.
Those salaries are WAY more than the - so called - overpayed paper industry workers in Finland receive. Not to talk about the IT sector.
Comment by Thomas — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 9:49 pm
can u show the lowest 5
Comment by sppuuddy — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 9:52 pm
I hate my country:(
Comment by Mikko Sandt — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 2:30 am
Those are actually surprisingly high figures. I wasn’t aware of that.
All the more reason to point out that the NEA is an obstacle to better education. With pay like that, we should expect better results. But like all labor unions, they only agitate for more funds….
I’m all for the school voucher program: to hell with state-controlled education. Give tax breaks for those people who choose not to send their children to failing public schools. Private schools not only do a better job, but they ensure diversity in society, and block the entrenchment of Euro-style, state-sponsored elitism.
So what would bind a society together, if not a common educational system? The answer is quite obvious in American society: entertainment.
In the end, that works better.
Comment by Finnpundit — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 4:29 am
I don’t know if it’s reasonable to compare just salaries, if they don’t include for example health insurance. And as far I know (which doesn’t mean a lot, I admit) in the U.S. people pay for many services to private companies, whereas in Flnland people get more public services, such as public higher education. Here even the poorest people seem to have chance for a higher education degree up to the top.
I also believe one factor explaining higher salaries could be that in the U.S. there are a lot more private schools — or do those salaries only include public schools? In Finland private schools are very rare, because there are a very few people who cand afford sending their kids to those.
Anyway, I don’t have hard time believing that people in the U.S. make a lot money from the same job. I have a few journalist colleagues there and their standard of living is quite different from what we have in Finland. But of course, media and all the other business is in quite different scale there.
Comment by Tero Lehto — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 4:40 am
Hourly earnings of teachers are quite high…
Computer Programmers (private companies) - $24.49
Engineers, architects, and surveyors (private companies) - $31.05
Lawyers (public) - $34.64
Secondary Teachers (public) - $30.48
Elementary Teachers (public) - $30.52
Stats from bureau of labor statistics, spring 2003
Comment by Phil — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 12:38 pm
I don???t know if it???s reasonable to compare just salaries, if they don???t include for example health insurance. And as far I know (which doesn???t mean a lot, I admit) in the U.S. people pay for many services to private companies, whereas in Flnland people get more public services, such as public higher education.
Teachers all get health insurance, retirement plans (good ones) etc…
Here even the poorest people seem to have chance for a higher education degree up to the top.
No different in the U.S. - just take a loan or get a scholarship. I mean, why should expect some poor person to pay for your master’s degree so you can graduate then beat them out at just about any job?
I also believe one factor explaining higher salaries could be that in the U.S. there are a lot more private schools ??? or do those salaries only include public schools?
Good question, it might be for both. But the stats from my comment above is purely for public teachers, and they’re making almost as much as lawyers!
Comment by Phil — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 12:42 pm
The salaries of many academic professions are traditionally quite low in Finland. One reason is that if the librarians or school teachers go on strike, nobody pays attention or they are just accused of being selfish by denying their services from the public by striking. It’s a different story, when the paper workers hit their asses on the bench and the factory starts losing gazillion euros per day.
There is also some old idealistic mentality, that as a holder of an academic degree, you should live mainly out of the patriotic spirit serving your nation and love of your work. Loathing money and earthly possessions is also a part of the deal, at least a little bit. According to Pentti Linkola, we had this kind of academics still in the 50’s and probably part of that spirit is still living. Like the captain in the army said: “If you are living in a small country with limited resources, your resource is the backskin of the people.”
Prior to my graduation, I was giving excercises in physics for the first and second year students in the university of Helsinki. The university paid something like 130mk/hour (abt. 21 erkkis). I guess, it was a pretty penny for somebody without a master’s degree for teaching job at the time, but I only had few hours per week.
Comment by Antti (the red neck one) — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 3:38 pm
I can’t imagine anyone being able to live on $55k in CT as their taxes are nearly as high as MA.
Comment by hfb — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 12:31 am
Tero
Here even the poorest people seem to have chance for a higher education degree up to the top.
The same in America - actually even higher than in some European social-democrat states. More about the subject can be found from “Cowboy Capitalism”.
Comment by Mikko Sandt — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 2:52 am
I can???t imagine anyone being able to live on $55k in CT as their taxes are nearly as high as MA.
?!?!? Are you for real? Or did you mean to say, “I can’t imagine anyone being able to afford a 300K house with a Mercedes on 55K in CT” ??
Comment by Phil — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 7:38 am
Finland was destroyed by the socialists. Salarys are so so small.. My wife, who is a nurse, would make 40 to 60 K in states and would still get all the healtcare insurances etc whereas here she makes 20 K a year.
My brother just graduated and works in Boston where he makes 80-100 K a year but here in Finland he would have made propably 40-50 K.
Who ever came up with “On lottovoitto synty?¤ suomeen”?
Check out this site for info about salaries in states. I got really jealous. I would make 2-3 times more in states with my masters.
http://www.salary.com/
Comment by visa79 — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 12:52 pm
Check out this site: http://www.salary.com …
Who can still say that its “lottovoitto synty?¤ suomeen”?
My brother makes 3 times more a year in states than here.
Socialists have truly destroyed Finland!
Comment by visa79 — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 1:03 pm
Finnplunder:
So what would bind a society together, if not a common educational system? The answer is quite obvious in American society: entertainment.
Yes, the American society is a prime example of replacing education with entertainment.
Phil:
>Here even the poorest people seem to have chance for a higher >education degree up to the top.
No different in the U.S. - just take a loan or get a scholarship.
Right. So anyone with a high school diploma, zero work experience and not a penny to his/her name can just waltz into a bank and get a $200k student loan? And if one doesn’t feel like it, just “get” a $200k scholarship. Is the weather nice in La-La-Land?
To put things into perspective, I make about ??¬45k/year and the nice people in the bank told me I could get a ??¬140k housing loan at most.
As to “socialists having destroyed Finland”, how come it is so difficult to see that it is Finnish capitalists who are exploiting their workforce?
Comment by Anonymous — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 4:34 pm
Is the weather nice in La-La-Land?
200K loan? Is that how much all the colleges cost in La-La-Land? Four years at a nice state school costs you the same as an inexpensive automobile. And community colleges cost next to nothing.
To put things into perspective, I make about ??¬45k/year and the nice people in the bank told me I could get a ??¬140k housing loan at most.
Not bad…for Finland. In the U.S. you’d easily get approve for a house worth twice that. But as someone stated earlier, the government are subsidizing house loans.
As to ???socialists having destroyed Finland”, how come it is so difficult to see that it is Finnish capitalists who are exploiting their workforce?
You’ll have to ask visa79 about his comment.
Comment by Phil — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 4:44 pm
Four years at a nice state school costs you the same as an inexpensive automobile.
And it’s about as good as an inexpensive automobile. Regardless of the quality of teaching, employers don’t care if you graduated from Hicksville U. When I’m talking about higher education, I am not referring to cow universities.
Not bad??¦for Finland. In the U.S. you???d easily get approve for a house worth twice that.
Yes yes, one of those nice interest-only zero down payment loans. It’s a new economy! *poof*
The point was that despite my relatively good income, I still wouldn’t qualify for a loan that would get me an Ivy League degree. (Granted, nor do I qualify for a loan that will get us a house/apartment fit for humans. Renters will we remain.)
Comment by Anonymous — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 5:46 pm
And it???s about as good as an inexpensive automobile. Regardless of the quality of teaching, employers don???t care if you graduated from Hicksville U. When I???m talking about higher education, I am not referring to cow universities.
Neither am I. I went to the University of Maryland, at the time it had the 11th ranked computer science department in the country. Tuition was just over $3,000 a semester. No offense but, you have no clue what you’re talking about - 200K loans? Where do you get this ridiculous anti-American propoganda from?
I still wouldn???t qualify for a loan that would get me an Ivy League degree
You’ve tried? Let’s ask Finnpundit about that, I believe he’s an Ivy school grad.
Comment by Phil — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 6:37 pm
No offense but, you have no clue what you???re talking about - 200K loans? Where do you get this ridiculous anti-American propoganda from?
Typical Ivy League tuition is $30,000/year, a Master’s takes about 4-5 years (except for losers like yours truly). The remaining money is for lowly proletarian needs such as food and housing.
The source of this “ridiculous anti-American propaganda” are the websites of MIT and Harvard in this case. Well, everybody knows that institutions of higher education are bastions of anti-Americanism. Time for some McCarthy-style sweeping!
MIT
Harvard
You???ve tried? Let???s ask Finnpundit about that, I believe he???s an Ivy school grad.
Should’ve known. Finnplunder’s daddy paid for it and now he has dedicated his life to bitching about “freeriders”. Yay!
Why do you propose that people go to Ivy League schools when you can get equally good education at a fraction of the cost? Do rich people just like to throw money away?
Comment by Anonymous — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 6:57 pm
Regarding our friend Finnpundit:
The word I’ve been searching for is BLUNDER. Sometimes the English language fails me, particularly in heated argument
Comment by Anonymous — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 7:03 pm
Typical Ivy League tuition is $30,000/year, a Master???s takes about 4-5 years (except for losers like yours truly). The remaining money is for lowly proletarian needs such as food and housing.
Certainly, but that represents what, 0.01% of schools in the U.S.? And they’re the top schools in the world, Finnish schools couldn’t compete with any of them.
Why do you propose that people go to Ivy League schools when you can get equally good education at a fraction of the cost? Do rich people just like to throw money away?
Do you think all Finnish universities are “equally good”?
Comment by Phil — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 7:41 pm
Certainly, but that [Ivy League] represents what, 0.01% of schools in the U.S.?
With 80,000 universities (using the strict definition) for under 300 million people, it is truly amazing that Dumbya got a second term.
And they???re the top schools in the world, Finnish schools couldn???t compete with any of them.
Really now? Check this list.
University of Helsinki (annual tuition: 67??¬): #72
Brown U (annual tuition: $32,264) : #82
Do you think all Finnish universities are ???equally good”?
In terms of where you get your degree from, pretty much. Employers don’t drool after University of Helsinki graduates and trample over Oulu graduates, for instance. In terms of research, U of H and HUT researchers tend to get cited more.
Comment by Anonymous — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 9:32 pm
With 80,000 universities (using the strict definition) for under 300 million people, it is truly amazing that Dumbya got a second term.
Well John Kerry was the biggest loser the Democrats have put up for nomination in my lifetime, that’s why Bush won.
Really now? Check this list.
Yeah and look how many inexpensive state universities are in the Top 100? To many to count.
In terms of where you get your degree from, pretty much.
Why do you think Finnish employers treat all schools the same while Americans look highly upon the school you graduated from?
Comment by Phil — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 9:44 pm
Yeah and look how many inexpensive state universities are in the Top 100? To many to count.
You have a point there. If only US employers cared.
Well John Kerry was the biggest loser the Democrats have put up for nomination in my lifetime, that???s why Bush won.
I don’t get this American hatred of Kerry. To me he seemed like a strong candidate.
Why do you think Finnish employers treat all schools the same while Americans look highly upon the school you graduated from?
Perhaps it’s the general knowledge that they are subject to the same standards. The curriculums are fairly uniform. Up to a Master’s, it doesn’t make much of a difference. If you’re planning on graduate studies, it might be wise to think twice where to go through them.
In the US, Ivy League alumni make up a sort of good ole boys club. Someone who graduated from a cheapo university isn’t one of “us” in upper management’s eyes. A similar institution exists in Finland wrt military rank. Unless you are a reserve officer, you can kiss any dreams about a senior management position in just about any Finnish organisation - public or private sector - goodbye.
Comment by Anonymous — Tue, Aug 2nd, 2005 @ 12:51 am
I don???t get this American hatred of Kerry. To me he seemed like a strong candidate.
Well that’s what the big newspapers wanted you to think. John Kerry is dry, boring, dull - He didn’t take a stand against the war, he didn’t really take a stand on anything. And he plays the classical guitar, speaks French fluently (or was it Portugese?), writes poetry, and windsurfs. Americans don’t want Presidents who speak French, write poetry, play classical guitar or windsurfs.
Perhaps it???s the general knowledge that they are subject to the same standards.
Maybe therein lies the problem. Maybe if there was a little competition among schools, more Finnish schools will creap up onto the “Best” list, instead of them all being equally mediocre on those rankings? But I don’t think the left-wingers like the idea of “better” schools, being all the “same” is more important.
Someone who graduated from a cheapo university isn???t one of ???us?? in upper management???s eyes.
Which Hollywood movie did you get thet from?
Comment by Phil — Tue, Aug 2nd, 2005 @ 9:15 am
I don???t know if it???s reasonable to compare just salaries, if they don???t include for example health insurance.
As I said in an earlier comment thread, the cost of living in the US varied widely from state to state. That shoudl be factored in.
I can???t imagine anyone being able to live on $55k in CT as their taxes are nearly as high as MA.
I wish I were making that much in Texas. My savings accout would be a lot bigger.
Comment by Alan K. Henderson — Tue, Aug 2nd, 2005 @ 10:07 am
And he plays the classical guitar, speaks French fluently (or was it Portugese?), writes poetry, and windsurfs. Americans don???t want Presidents who speak French, write poetry, play classical guitar or windsurfs.
I have noticed. They prefer presidents who snort coke, drive drunk, don’t speak any language fluently and start wars for no reason.
Which Hollywood movie did you get thet from?
I’d really like to see the list of Fortune 500 CEOs who graduated from community colleges.
Comment by Anonymous — Tue, Aug 2nd, 2005 @ 4:57 pm
If someone like finnpundit graduated form ivy league then that certainly tells something about the ” great universities” of u.s.a.
It’s simply the funding of research in those universities that keeps them on the top of the list.
Ps. here’s a little secret if you didn’t know. I heard that there are many european scientist from european universities doing reasearch in america because of the greater funding there.
That might also explain why ”geniuses” like finnpundit have graduated from there, morons like him with rich daddies simple are being sucked try to keep the funding high.
Comment by bill — Tue, Aug 2nd, 2005 @ 6:56 pm
I have noticed. They prefer presidents who snort coke, drive drunk, don???t speak any language fluently and start wars for no reason.
Well, they want a Presidents who is more like themselves. Tell me - who is closer to a typical American. Classical guitar, French speaking, windsurfing rich guy - or drinking, coke-snorting, baseball loving rich guy?
I???d really like to see the list of Fortune 500 CEOs who graduated from community colleges.
Michael Dell had no college, Bill Gates dropped out - but c’mon, Fortune 500 CEOs represet what, 0.0001% of American CEOs.
Comment by Phil — Tue, Aug 2nd, 2005 @ 11:52 pm
First of all, I like your website a lot.
Second, you really think American teachers are overpaid??? Have you ever seen a teacher living in the lap of luxury? My father is a retired high school teacher and in his 25 years on the job I don’t think I saw a single week when he worked less than 70 hours, including many weekends spent coaching or sponsoring student activities. Now figure the hourly rate. And do you really think that benefits such as insurance are simply given to teachers with your tax dollars? Wake up. Those things cost many teachers a lot of money. Teaching in the U.S. is a difficult, frustrating, stressfull career path; it is also noble and worthy of respect and any compensation a teacher receives is assuredly well earned.
Comment by Seattle27 — Sat, Aug 6th, 2005 @ 7:13 am
Second, you really think American teachers are overpaid???
I for one don’t. I doubt those figures I posted about count all the time they spent checking homework in their freetime, writing tests, doing sports stuff, chaperoning dances etc..
Comment by Phil — Sat, Aug 6th, 2005 @ 4:59 pm
mczrlet aqwtfr juytvwlf gaynxjp xcay kdwibx dhyf
Comment by siukzyd zckv — Wed, Oct 24th, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
gzdr mtdfjaig bnoiscudl yglxrwt waofueq xngfi nyqvjwuoz http://www.tkubieo.nqjyu.com
Comment by cpiuhglx jubocf — Wed, Oct 24th, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
Useful site. Thanks:-)
http://jerryjimenez.freeweb7.com/free-xxxf3/milf-porno-clips-free.html milf porno clips free
Comment by milf porno clips free — Sun, Mar 23rd, 2008 @ 1:17 am