$11,680,000,000

[hillbillybear]

OOOOMMMMMGGGGGG. Seventy-Five Thousand dollars per year in a retirement fund for a teacher. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, either this guy has invested heavily in a 401k or an IRA or someone is pulling your leg. Those numbers...............that is something that just does not happen. I come from a family of teachers. I have a BA in elem. ed. myself even though I no longer teach. Can one go to Hell for lying? I don't think so, but at 75K per year, he should be able to buy his way out of damnation. 75K per year???? I doubt it. Not trying to sound like a smart ass, but those numbers cast serious doubt on.........................something.... Just not sure what that something is.

[sailingdog]

Unfortunately, some pensions are a better than others... and some are way too generous, especially given the situation. For instance, Congress should have no FEDERALLY FUNDED pensions, and should have to make do with what the normal people have to deal with.

[sailaway21]

Bureau of Labor stats.:

cation, Training, and Library Occupations top
Wage Estimates
Occupation Code Occupation Title (click on the occupation title to view an occupational profile) Employment (1) Median Hourly Mean Hourly Mean Annual (2) Mean RSE (3)
25-0000 Education, Training, and Library Occupations 8,316,360 $20.47 $22.41 $46,610 0.4 %
25-1011 Business Teachers, Postsecondary 67,700 (4) (4) $73,240 0.9 %
25-1021 Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary 33,840 (4) (4) $69,660 1.0 %
25-1022 Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary 44,560 (4) (4) $65,450 0.9 %
25-1031 Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary 6,070 (4) (4) $71,480 1.3 %
25-1032 Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary 32,360 (4) (4) $85,260 1.2 %
25-1041 Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary 10,700 (4) (4) $80,280 1.5 %
25-1042 Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary 52,560 (4) (4) $84,130 3.0 %
25-1043 Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary 2,640 (4) (4) $67,530 2.0 %
25-1051 Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary 9,030 (4) (4) $78,890 1.1 %
25-1052 Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary 19,800 (4) (4) $72,900 1.2 %
25-1053 Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary 4,470 (4) (4) $75,220 2.8 %
25-1054 Physics Teachers, Postsecondary 12,530 (4) (4) $77,440 1.0 %
25-1061 Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary 5,290 (4) (4) $69,420 0.9 %
25-1062 Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary 7,280 (4) (4) $67,770 1.7 %
25-1063 Economics Teachers, Postsecondary 12,840 (4) (4) $83,030 1.2 %
25-1064 Geography Teachers, Postsecondary 4,050 (4) (4) $65,810 1.2 %
25-1065 Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary 14,160 (4) (4) $70,350 0.9 %
25-1066 Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary 30,590 (4) (4) $66,460 0.7 %
25-1067 Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary 16,130 (4) (4) $65,230 1.4 %
25-1069 Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other 5,460 (4) (4) $70,000 2.9 %
25-1071 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 114,070 (4) (4) $95,440 1.8 %
25-1072 Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary 42,660 (4) (4) $60,850 0.6 %
25-1081 Education Teachers, Postsecondary 54,420 (4) (4) $59,250 1.2 %
25-1082 Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary 4,080 (4) (4) $59,690 1.5 %
25-1111 Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary 11,110 (4) (4) $57,510 1.3 %
25-1112 Law Teachers, Postsecondary 12,610 (4) (4) $95,510 1.7 %
25-1113 Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary 7,510 (4) (4) $61,140 1.3 %
25-1121 Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary 73,890 (4) (4) $61,050 0.9 %
25-1122 Communications Teachers, Postsecondary 23,690 (4) (4) $58,610 0.8 %
25-1123 English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary 60,910 (4) (4) $60,580 0.8 %
25-1124 Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary 25,100 (4) (4) $62,540 3.6 %
25-1125 History Teachers, Postsecondary 20,760 (4) (4) $65,410 1.5 %
25-1126 Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary 18,140 (4) (4) $61,700 0.9 %
25-1191 Graduate Teaching Assistants 119,790 (4) (4) $30,080 1.5 %
25-1192 Home Economics Teachers, Postsecondary 4,770 (4) (4) $63,790 1.7 %
25-1193 Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary 17,500 (4) (4) $57,540 1.5 %
25-1194 Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary 112,300 $22.05 $23.63 $49,150 0.9 %
25-1199 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other 265,500 (4) (4) $71,950 1.5 %
25-2011 Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education 380,930 $11.12 $12.40 $25,800 0.5 %
25-2012 Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education 170,880 (4) (4) $47,750 1.1 %
25-2021 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1,538,030 (4) (4) $50,040 0.6 %
25-2022 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education 652,560 (4) (4) $50,630 0.4 %
25-2023 Vocational Education Teachers, Middle School 15,260 (4) (4) $48,460 0.8 %
25-2031 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education 1,058,870 (4) (4) $52,450 0.4 %
25-2032 Vocational Education Teachers, Secondary School 97,550 (4) (4) $52,250 0.5 %
25-2041 Special Education Teachers, Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary School 219,930 (4) (4) $51,230 0.7 %
25-2042 Special Education Teachers, Middle School 100,160 (4) (4) $51,610 0.8 %
25-2043 Special Education Teachers, Secondary School 141,330 (4) (4) $53,020 0.7 %
25-3011 Adult Literacy, Remedial Education, and GED Teachers and Instructors 72,240 $21.50 $23.00 $47,830 2.1 %
25-3021 Self-Enrichment Education Teachers 156,960 $16.62 $19.04 $39,600 0.9 %
25-3099 Teachers and Instructors, All Other 555,460 (4) (4) $37,840 1.6 %

Also from the Bureau of Labor:

How much does this job pay? Back to Top Back to Top

The middle half of all kindergarten school teachers earned between $34,880 and $56,370 a year in 2006. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $28,590. The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $71,410 a year.

The middle half of all elementary school teachers earned between $36,680 and $58,170 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $30,370 and the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $72,720 a year.

The middle half of all high school teachers earned between $38,360 and $61,090 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $31,760 and the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $76,100 a year.

Some teachers earn extra money during the summer by doing other jobs.

And here's some comparisons of various growth jobs, including teaching:
http://www.bls.gov/emp/optd/optdtabi_5.pdf

Underpaid? I don't think so.

[SCoffshore]

The starting salary for a teacher in the southeast is around 20k.

[Freesail99]

In the New Jersey town where I use to live, the elementary school teachers earned on average 64K.

[PBzeer]

Ever notice that quite often, the less necessary a job is to maintaining a civil society, the higher the pay for it is?

[SailKing1]

A friend just retired from teaching elem. school for 25 years. Salery was low 50s.

[sck5]

my wife was a teacher. She got around 50k at the time she retired. She worked about 10 hours a day through the school year and also worked during the summer but not as long. An informal survey of people we know revealed that teaching was by far the lowest paid job that required a graduate degree.

Do you really think teaching our children has nothing to do with civil society? A lot of them sure as hell arent learning civility at home even though we all could agree that they should.

[sailingdog]

Yeah, just look at Congress.

Originally Posted by PBzeer

Ever notice that quite often, the less necessary a job is to maintaining a civil society, the higher the pay for it is?

[PBzeer]

sck5 - do you ever pay attention to what I say? Or just read what you want to hear?

Dawg - excellent example, and it looks like we'll get even more of it in November.