‘Too much’: Teacher’s salary sparks debate

An Aussie teacher’s salary has sparked a big debate online with some claiming he earns “too much”.

Australians were left surprised after two teachers revealed their healthy salaries – and now some people are claiming they earn too much.

Getahead is an app that matches workers with employers like Tinder but for your career. Part of the company’s shtick has become hitting the streets of Australia and asking people about their salaries.

Two teachers were stopped in Brisbane and asked, “What do you guys do? And how much do you guys make?”

The man replied and said, “We are both teachers and we are both in middle leadership in teaching and $130,000 per year.”

She stopped the two teachers in the street. Picture: TikTok/getahead.app

The teachers shared their wages. Picture: TikTok/getahead.app

He then elaborated and explained that he was a drama teacher who also taught health and physical education and that his friend was a science teacher.

The drama teacher added that teaching was tough at the moment because of the shortage in Australia.

He said that if he had to list the “hardest” thing about his job, “I could be here all day,” but then boiled it down to “burnout and the shortage.”

“It has a massive impact on our teachers, and if we don’t look after them, we will end up with none, and that is pretty catastrophic,” he warned.

He also said that his best advice to young people is to make sure they are doing what they love.

“Do what you enjoy and don’t do what you think people want you to do or don’t do what you think you have to do,” he said.

Both said you should do what you love. Picture: TikTok/getahead.app

He said teacher’s are getting burnt out. Picture: TikTok/getahead.app

The science teacher chimed in and said she’d encourage all young people to just be themselves and follow their passions.

“Just be you as well! Don’t just fit into the crowd. Find out who you are and what you love,” she recommended.

Some people said they earned "too much" Picture: Istock

Australians in the comments were genuinely surprised to hear that both teachers were earning such decent wages, which sparked a big debate.

According to job search platform SEEK the average wage for a teacher in Australia ranges from $95,000 to $105,000.

“$130,000 with 12 weeks holidays and accumulated annual leave, additional 4 weeks and sick leave. Yes, there’s a lot of marking but that’s an awesome wage,” one wrote.

“Don’t believe that salary,” another shared.

“So happy to hear teachers are paid that much,” someone else wrote.

Another replied and pointed out that the teacher clarified they were both in “middle leadership” so they’d be earning above a standard teaching wage.

“That is so crazy they get paid so much,” one mused.

“Would love to know why people say teachers aren’t paid much, because from what I hear they earn very good wages,” another said.

“I am studying education at university and it is horrific. There’s a reason for lack of new teachers,” one shared.

“Teachers are a joke. Should spend holidays learning more around time management, resilience and personal training. $130k a year is more than enough,” someone fumed.

“Try it for a week and you’d see how difficult it is,” another hit back,

Someone else said their wages were “way too much” but another called the comments saying teachers should earn less “ignorant”.