[sanddrag]

As an FRC student-turned-engineer-turned-teacher I'll go ahead and chime in on this one. There probably is not a huge number of folks with a degree in engineering who went on to teach full time, so I think my view point may be somewhat unique.

First, many people think teaching is easy. For those people, I say go try it and you may have a different opinion. Contrary to popular belief, it's not something just anyone can do.

In terms of pay, it's all public information so I have no problem discussing it. I'll be honest: As a teacher, day for day, I am considerably better off than a friend of mine who graduated at the same time, same degree (Mechanical Engineering), was ranked second in the graduating class, and is now an automation engineer at a medical technology company. I know that must sound rather surprising. He makes about $7k per year more than me, but he works about 256 days per year where I work about 184 (in theory).

Additionally, I have about the best benefits you could ask for. My employer basically spends about $14,000 per year on my benefits and retirement system contributions (8% of salary). My engineer friend has to pay out of pocket for certain things, whereas I do not. Additionally, many private sector jobs are now "at will" contracts. You may go to work one day and find yourself out of a job without much rhyme or reason.

The problem for teachers is that when you calculate pay hour for hour, it ends up being a significantly lower rate. When doing the job well, most teachers do not finish the work within the paid work hours. There is a lot of extra time required. Furthermore, over my first two years of teaching, I'll be out of pocket nearly $2,000 just in classes, tests, certifications, fees, etc that I need in order to keep my job. I know of no other profession in which a newly hired employee must PAY so much out of pocket in order to simply maintain their employment status. That's backward.

Additionally, salaries for teachers are flat-lined for 5 years. Even if you have a Masters degree, the pay is the same starting out, and the increase does not kick in right away. Also, the advancement curve is rather gradual. Where's the incentive to get better at what you do? When you enter the profession, you immediately know that you will not make a dime more for half a decade (unless there is a new contract reached, but with the state of school funding any changes in salary are typically negative). In fact, you will technically be making less over time due to inflation, and furlough days that are now being imposed in many school districts.

While I may have my engineer friend beat for now, in 5 years he will likely be making what would take me 20 years and a Masters to earn in the teaching profession.

However, so far I like my job. I value my time a lot, and having every holiday in existence and breaks off is worth A LOT and not found in too many other professions. It takes many years to perfect, but once a teacher has it figured out where he or she can finish the work within the work day, it can be an attractive career (at the right school).

On the topic of different pay for different subjects, I'm not sure how to comment on that one. Each teacher teaches his or her own specialty. It would be rather arrogant of me to say Engineering is worth more than English. Perhaps my degree was more difficult to earn, but it does not qualify me to teach in English class. From what I've seen so far, effective teaching may have more to do with methods than content, in which case the teacher's degree is somewhat insignificant, so long as the teacher has sufficient knowledge of or desire to learn the content.

EDIT: Additionally, many teachers (especially in technical fields) often end up paying a few hundred dollars per year out of pocket for classroom supplies, and all teachers pay about $1100 per year in teachers association dues.