A High School Teacher on TikTok Says She Got a Second Job Delivering Pizzas to Pay the Bills
Feb. 27 2023, Published 3:03 p.m. ET
Teaching is a noble profession, but it’s no secret that educators don’t receive the compensation they deserve. Educating the next generation is no easy feat; it takes a particular type of individual to accomplish such a task.
However, more and more aspiring teachers are deterred from pursuing the career path solely because of the bare minimum pay. Case in point? @alexisalongcrier on TikTok.
Alexis, an English teacher, recently shared a video stating that she’s delivering pizzas in addition to teaching full-time. The reason? Her teaching salary isn’t sustainable. Here’s what she talked about in her video.
A teacher on TikTok revealed she took on a second job delivering pizzas because she wasn’t getting paid enough.
On TikTok, Alexis shared that she needed a second job because her teaching salary wasn’t sustainable. The full-time teacher revealed that she delivers pizzas at night because she can’t afford to live solely on her teaching paycheck.
“I’m doing this because I can’t survive on my teaching paycheck,” she said. “Everyone’s always talking about the reasons that teachers want to leave, but what about all the teachers that want to stay but literally can’t afford to.”
In her caption, she argued that a living wage simply isn’t enough. “Teachers don’t just deserve a living wage — they deserve a thriving wage!” she wrote.
The TikTok creator’s take is one that you’d think would be universally accepted. However, controversy plagued her comment section.
The teacher’s TikTok video received some backlash in the comment section.
While most comments on the teacher’s video were supportive, several users disagreed with her call for higher pay.
“How can you not survive in a field that pays on average 60K annually,” one user asked. “Plus you guys get summers off. And health benefits.”
Teachers wasted no time disputing that comment, with someone replying, “LOL at this comment. I teach in NC and just made it to 40K after six years.” Other teachers shared similar experiences.
Countless teachers opened up about their own heartbreaking stories.
Alexis’s TikTok prompted hundreds of comments from people sharing troubling anecdotes.
Several individuals talked about how they desperately wanted to be teachers but couldn’t because they’d be unable to pay off their student loans with such a low salary. Others said their go-to advice for teachers was to marry “well” or they’d be “miserable.”
“I’m a teacher with a master's, and I sell my plasma to get by,” one person shared. Another added, “Teacher [with] a master's and I have a second job to pay my bills … it shouldn’t have to be this hard.”
“I have a master’s and work extra duties,” someone else commented. “[I] work a part-time job [and] sell my plasma. We need a livable wage.”
