Teachers Who Are Single Are Sharing How They Afford To Live Alone, And The Short Of It Is, They Don't
Last week, u/Anxious-Union3827, a teacher and single parent, took to r/Teachers to inquire as to how single teachers afford to live independently. "Background," they wrote, "I'm entering my sixth year of teaching. I am divorced and have a child. I live with a family member (a 93-year-old grandparent) because divorce is expensive. After insurance comes out of my check, I cut less than $1,000 each pay period (paid twice a month). After I pay daycare, internet, phone, and car insurance, I have about $200–300 left... if I'm lucky."
Now, a quick pause for context: according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the estimated average annual salary for US teachers in public elementary and secondary schools as of the 2021–22 school year is $66,397. However, this number doesn't break down salaries by years of experience, highest degree earned, or even by state.
For instance, public K–12 teachers make, on average, $92,222 per year in the state of New York and $87,275 in California. On the other hand, public K–12 teachers make $49,761 in South Dakota and $47,162 in Mississippi. Remember, folks, these are averages across the entire state; while some are making more, others are making less.
Additionally, public K–12 teachers with less than four years of experience make, on average, less than $49,300 annually. Meanwhile, teachers with 15 or more years of experience make, on average, over $66,300 annually.
After explaining more of their circumstances, u/Anxious-Union3827 then asked how single teachers survive, adding that they planned to take on a second job soon though it meant less time with their child. "I don't understand how single teachers can rent somewhere, buy a house, etc. I truly don't get it," they said. In response, many single teachers came forward and shared how they make ends meet.
Before getting into their stories, however, some users pointed out the following:
"They don't. Teaching has always been an extremely sexist job. Teaching, a predominantly woman profession, doesn't pay enough to cover the cost of living without being with a partner (preferably married and with a male partner if you're in the GOP states). It's always been seen as 'the extra income career to the man's.'"
"I know it's easier said than done, and most people can't just uproot their life and move, but living where teachers make a decent salary is the only way I can afford to live alone. I teach in Connecticut, make a six-figure salary (entering my 26th year), and have been living on my own since I left college at 21. I'm 47 now — so granted I have many years in the career under my belt — but I don’t know how other teachers do it in low-paying states."
"I taught in Arkansas and Colorado before moving to Maryland for my Master's/the pay increase. I am now making about $30,000 more a year than I was making in Colorado! If you are at all able (I get family, pension, etc. get in the way), move to a better state. Some of them legit pay very well and have great unions. Those two things usually go hand in hand."
"The teachers' strike is the reason why the salary is high. For every contract renewal, my district in western Washington claims they have no money to give us raises. We strike; they somehow find the money to give us 7–10% raises."
Now, without further ado, here's how these 22 single teachers make ends meet:
1."I've always lived with roommates or a significant other, and I'm 33. I'm working on buying a house right now, but I'll have to find one or two roommates as tenants when that happens, too. It sucks, but it is what it is."
2."I just moved to a high-cost-of-living area on the East Coast. For the first month, I was homeless and lived out of my car. I couldn't even get a studio apartment. The only way my roommate and I afford our place is because it's the basement of a private home — it's cheaper than apartments. I'm pissed that I did everything right and still can't get by in my own place. Plus, students' parents are pissed that I was homeless, but there's no pressure to raise our pay. Apparently, I'm a bad influence on their kids now. LOL!"
"I'm thinking about buying an RV after my lease is up and living in my auto full time. It's much cheaper, and I never felt so free and happy."
3."I stock shelves at a grocery store on the weekends and pull in an additional $1,000 a month. I drive for Uber Eats on the side as well — not regularly — but to earn any extra 'fun' money I might want. Being single and child-free helps a lot with this because I'm only responsible for myself. But generally, I live as cheaply as possible and am incredibly meticulous and strict with my budget so that I'm able to save and invest."
"I went into this job knowing it was the life I’d have to live for the first couple of years. I'm definitely not saying that’s how it should be, but being prepared for it made it a lot easier to manage."
4."I got lucky and found an engineering girlfriend who makes double my salary and is on track to potentially make triple it. Stay-at-home dad time, here I come."
5."A coworker converted their basement into an extra bedroom and bathroom so that another coworker, who is single and just started teaching, could move in and save on rent."
6."I'm pretty lucky. I'm a single-parent household with kids and began living in low-income housing before I became a teacher. Because of that, my rent is about half of that of the regular market. This is literally the only reason I can afford my job and have savings."
7."Sweet summer gigs help. I have a town job working in a beach parking lot that pays $26.60 per hour. I've been doing it for seven years now. I pretty much get paid to talk shit to people, listen to tunes, feed catbirds, work on the tan, and workout."
"I work four days a week and make an extra $10k."
8."I'm a single parent starting my eighth year. I live very, very frugally. I also work a side job from home."
"Life sucks for teachers."
9."New Jersey is kind of crazy. I was just offered a job at $56,000 per year in a very wealthy town. I rent my place for $1,700 a month. On weekends, I'll do DoorDash and Uber Eats to make a bit more cash, plus summer school."
"Once my wife is able to work, I’ll finally be able to save money."
10."I question that every day as a new teacher. I'm barely making ends meet as a soon-to-be second-year teacher, and I'm getting really discouraged by the slow salary growth. I'm not planning on having kids or marrying anyways, so at least I'll have that cutting down my expenses. However, I do want a house at some point. The only shot I have is getting my Master's soon and taking extra jobs at my school just to stay afloat."
"It's depressing that you have to basically be a millionaire to live comfortably anymore in this country. Fuck this economy, fuck wage stagnation, and fuck the politicians and elites actively making it nearly impossible for all of us to live decent lives. When are we going to stop talking about doing something about this and actually DO something?"
11."The cheapest apartments in my area cost roughly $1,500 per month, and they want you to make three times the rent, aka $54,000 per year. I was lucky enough that my parents let me continue to live with them, so I saved up enough for a down payment on a condo and waited until interest rates were low (I got 3.5%). There's an identical unit to mine in the building for rent, and I wouldn't even qualify to rent it (they want about $65,000 per year)!"
12."I'm a single parent with a child, and I live in a high-cost-of-living area. I get some child support, but it's still a struggle. I've done DoorDash and am trying to pick up some tutoring this year."
13."I haven't had a roommate since my early 20s, and I still continue to live independently. However, I've been able to do this because I set a strict budget and live below my means. I don't have children, so my only dependents are my dogs (which are considerably less expensive than kids). Even then, I only adopted them in the last few years, after I bought my house."
14."After I got divorced, I lived with my two kids in a two-bedroom apartment. They were little so they had no issue sharing a room, but the living room was basically their playroom. Their dad paid for half of their daycare costs, but that's it (no child support or alimony). I didn't buy a lot of meat and tried to buy things in bulk or on sale. I basically never ate out, and lunch was always a sandwich. I downloaded as many shopping apps as I could to save money. I also got the cheapest insurance possible for myself and just hoped I never got sick (my ex carries the kids on his)."
"I got an Amazon credit card which I paid off fully every month. I then used the earned points for Christmas, birthdays, etc. I also did Amazon 'subscribe and save' for things like cat food, litter, snacks, juice boxes, cleaning supplies, etc. if it was cheaper than in-store prices. Though I had a washing machine, I didn't have a dryer, so I dried everything on a drying rack or clothesline on my balcony."
15."I just turned 30 and am still rooming with my mom. 🥲 We split the rent, so it's not so bad."
16."Thirteen years ago, when I was a single teacher, my rent was only $480 per month for a one-bedroom apartment. That same apartment now is over $1,200 per month. I couldn't survive the same way I did in the current economy."
"I don’t know how anyone else does either."
17."Years ago, when I was in that situation, I did not use paid child care. Instead, my children attended the school I taught at, which was not their district school. Before and after school, my kids would hang out in my classroom. It kind of sucked for them because the kids in the neighborhood went to a different school, but it saved me a lot of money. I could not have done it otherwise."
"Also, my parents watched my kids two evenings per week while I finished my Master's, and my dad kindly did all my vehicle maintenance."
18."My parents help me out when needed, and I'll never stop feeling both grateful and guilty for that. I'm at the top of the salary scale, and I'm living paycheck to paycheck. I'm single and childless — I don't know how people afford to have kids."
19."I had to leave my job as a teacher because of this. I was in a high-cost-of-living area and only made $41,000 a year. After everything, my take home was $2,800 per month, and my rent alone was $1,600."
20."I drive for DoorDash on top of regular work."
21."I'm going into my fifth year as a full-time teacher, and I still live at home. I have a ton of money saved up, but I still can't afford an average home in the current market."
"I need a few 10 thousand more going into the down payment."
22."I lived with my parents for way longer than I wanted to, worked two extra jobs and during summers, paid my loans down, and saved for a down payment. My one-bedroom condo I bought in 2017 is now worth nearly double what I paid for it. I couldn't afford it if I wanted to buy it today. If I were even two or three years younger, I really don't know if my current life would be possible, and I live very much within my means."
