As American Teachers Work Multiple Jobs to Stay Afloat, Trump Commits Billions to a Potentially Endless War.
Across America, educators are juggling side hustles just to survive — even as federal spending priorities spark new questions about what the nation truly values.
By the time her fifth graders leave the classroom each afternoon, Melissa Carter’s workday is far from over.
The Washington state teacher, who spends her mornings guiding students through math problems and reading lessons, heads into an entirely different line of work once the school bell rings. During the academic year, she works evenings as a food delivery driver. When winter break arrives, she helps out at her family’s Christmas tree farm. Her husband, Daniel — also a public school teacher — brings in extra money on weekends painting homes.
None of it is optional.
“I love teaching. I really do,” Carter said. “But loving the job doesn’t erase the financial pressure. We’re constantly looking for ways to make the numbers work.”
Her situation reflects a broader national pattern that education advocates say is becoming impossible to ignore.
A profession stretched thin
Roughly seven in ten public school teachers now report holding at least one additional job, according to new survey data released by Gallup in collaboration with the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Walton Family Foundation.
What stands out is not just how many educators are working extra jobs, but when they are doing it.
Despite the perception that teachers rely mainly on summer work, the survey found that 85% of educators with side jobs are working those roles during the school year itself, effectively turning what is already a demanding profession into a near year-round grind.
For many, the extra income comes from outside the education world entirely.
Nearly one-third of American teachers report taking on work unrelated to schools — including rideshare driving, food delivery, bartending, retail shifts, and other service-sector jobs.
Education experts say the trend reflects a simple reality: paychecks are not keeping up with living costs.
The paycheck squeeze
Teachers have long voiced concerns about compensation, but the pressure has intensified as everyday expenses climb. Rising housing costs, higher grocery bills, insurance premiums, and utility prices have tightened budgets for middle-income households nationwide.
For Carter, whose teaching salary is about $62,000 a year, the side income creates breathing room — not luxury.
She and her husband are trying to save for a home, a goal that increasingly feels out of reach on two educator salaries alone.
“We don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck forever,” she said. “The second job gives us a chance to plan for the future.”
Survey findings underscore the strain. Only about 28% of teachers say their household finances feel comfortable. A majority — 52% — report they are just getting by, while roughly one in five say they are experiencing real financial hardship.
Teachers who report financial stress are far more likely to seek outside work. According to the data, 46% of struggling educators hold non-teaching side jobs, compared with 22% of those who say they are managing financially.
Falling behind comparable professions
Linda Harrington, former U.S. education secretary and current president and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center, said the numbers should be a wake-up call.
“When educators are routinely working second jobs during the school year, that signals a structural problem,” Harrington said. “It raises serious questions about whether we are backing up our rhetoric about valuing teachers.”
Salary comparisons highlight the gap.
The National Education Association reports the average teacher salary for the 2024–2025 school year is just above $72,000. Yet educators earn about 27% less than similarly educated professionals in other fields, according to 2024 data from the Center for Economic and Policy Research and the Economic Policy Institute — the widest gap recorded in more than five decades.
For male teachers, the disparity is even steeper, reaching 36%.
At the same time, national spending debates have intensified as the administration of Donald Trump directs billions toward ongoing military commitments overseas, prompting critics to question whether domestic priorities like education are receiving sufficient investment.
Benefits — but growing doubts
Teaching still offers some advantages that have largely disappeared in the private sector. Many public school educators retain access to defined pension plans that guarantee monthly retirement income, along with comparatively strong health coverage.
Tenure protections also provide job security that many private-sector workers no longer enjoy.
But analysts note that budget pressures at the state and local level have eroded confidence in some of these benefits and raised long-term questions about pension sustainability.
Meanwhile, the day-to-day strain is taking a toll inside classrooms.
More than half — 52% — of teachers who report financial difficulty say they feel burned out very often or always, according to the Gallup data.
“That level of burnout is concerning,” Harrington said. “When talented teachers leave, students ultimately bear the consequences.”
A warning for the future
The nation is already grappling with teacher shortages in critical areas such as special education, math, and science. An aging workforce and high attrition rates are key drivers — but financial stress is increasingly part of the equation.
Carter admits she sometimes wonders how long she can sustain the pace.
“I want to stay in teaching because I care deeply about my students,” she said. “But there are moments when you question whether the system values the work enough to make it sustainable.”
Education leaders warn that perception matters. If teaching continues to be viewed as financially unsustainable, fewer young professionals may choose the classroom in the first place.
Harrington argues that meaningful change will require more than praise for educators. It will require structural investment — including stronger career pathways and higher wages that allow effective teachers to remain in the classroom without financial strain.
“We have tools available to address this,” she said. “The question is whether we are willing to prioritize the people educating the next generation.”
This is reprehensible, IMO!!! The people who we trust to prepare our children for life as members of our society are barely making enough to live on. Teachers salaries should reflect the importance of their jobs and their commitment to their students.
Crushing - as a sometimes educator I know the struggle, the stress and the critical need for more teacher support and supplies