Teacher Tapp: 15% of teachers cite insufficient pay as reason for considering exit

Teacher Tapp, a teacher survey application, has highlighted low pay as one of the primary reasons educators consider leaving the profession, particularly among elementary school teachers.

According to a report by MyPayMySay, the average starting salary for teachers in the United States is approximately $40,000. Many educators reportedly work nearly 60 hours per week, which translates to roughly $21 per hour. This rate is comparable to entry-level positions in various states. Such compensation disparities contribute to high turnover rates as new teachers often find that their expectations do not align with their pay, leading to burnout and attrition.

In 2022, the regression-adjusted weekly wage penalty for U.S. teachers reached a record 26.4%, up from just 6.1% in 1996. Male teachers faced a 36.6% penalty while female teachers encountered a 21.3% penalty. Even when accounting for benefits, the total compensation penalty rose to 17.0% in 2022, indicating that growing benefits have not kept pace with wage losses. According to the Economic Policy Institute, in 31 states, teachers earn less than 80 cents on the dollar compared to similar college-educated workers, with state-level penalties ranging from 7.6% in New Jersey to 37.4% in Colorado.

Teacher Tapp is a daily survey platform operating in both the UK and the US that collects responses from thousands of educators to provide timely insights for the education sector. Its official website states that the platform aims to inform school leaders, researchers, and policymakers by capturing teachers' perspectives on current issues through daily multiple-choice questions.