Teachers' compensation at US private schools

elizamina
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:49 pm

Re: Teachers' compensation at US private schools

Post by elizamina »

I've been back in the US for two years now (for family reasons). My partner and I each work at an independent school on the east coast. We're each making about 60k a year, and my school pays the premiums for health insurance.

We're both making *more* than we ever made at an international school, but of course, we're saving *less*. We're still saving, but not nearly the amount we managed to do in six years overseas. Eventually we'll probably go overseas again, but not in the next few years.

The independent schools in this area tend to pay around 50-60k if you're coming in with 5+ years of experience. Parochial schools are the ones that pay very low wages; the parochial schools around here seem to pay 35-40k, which is exactly why I would never work at one.

Just wanted to give another perspective. Feel free to ask questions.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Inquiry

Post by PsyGuy »

@elizamina

You stated that with 5+ years of experience you are making USD$60K/year, if you know or can find out what is the top salary for your DSs on the salary scale assuming maximum number of years and highest degree?
jschott
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2016 4:31 pm

Re: Teachers' compensation at US private schools

Post by jschott »

I once observed an English class at a top-tier private school in DC. The teaching was atrocious--and this by a teacher described as "brilliant" by the department head. Whatever they're being paid at that school, it's too much.
mamava
Posts: 320
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 7:56 am

Re: Teachers' compensation at US private schools

Post by mamava »

My experience at an elite Asian school and a not-elite Saudi school. Dollar for dollar comparison to my US teacher friends with the same experience, I made about the same amount--in Asia I think I made a bit less. What put me over the top was that we were paying nothing for housing or utilities and we had the flight benefit. That, plus the tax-free income. Even though we don't pay into social security or a US pension scheme we have more cash to work with and live on. We owned a house in the States but were able to rent it out--so basically we were living free on tax-free income AND renting out our place.

My husband was an AP at a middle school in the States, then went to communications director. He actually took a pay cut to do that, which I thought was interesting, but again--the benefits make up for the salary.

I do have a couple of friends whose dollar for dollar income exceeded mine, but they were district level admin (director of special ed., etc.) so that would be expected, I guess.
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