I Love My Teaching Job, But It Doesn't Pay Me Enough

I’m a high-school history teacher, and I really enjoy it. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do, and I love my kids and my colleagues. I work at a small private school, which comes with some drama and drawbacks, but overall I’m happy here. The problem is that the pay sucks. Most of my fellow teachers seem to have family money or a wealthier spouse, but I have neither and can barely make ends meet. My salary is about $60K a year, which doesn’t take you very far in Brooklyn, especially with student loans. (Mine are on hold right now, but I’m dreading the day payments resume.)

I don’t want to abandon my career. I’m good at it, and I’ve put over a decade of my life into it. Plus what else am I even qualified to do? But I’m starting to realize that this just isn’t sustainable. I’ve pretty much given up on the idea of ever owning a home. Sure, I have nice benefits, and I put money away for retirement, but I work with some teachers in their 70s who literally can’t afford to stop working. How can I avoid that fate?

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