'Can't pay their bills with love': For many teaching jobs, teachers' pay can't cover rent
New teachers can't afford median rent almost anywhere. Our city-by-city analysis validates a theme in teacher strikes. But that's not the full story
Her annual compensation for those skills: $64,000, plus benefits. That doesn't go far in this popular coastal city, where median rent has shot up to almost $2,000 per month, and the median mortgage is almost $1,300 per month before taxes or insurance, according to the real estate site Zillow.
"We spend a good 30% to 40% of our income on our mortgage," said Corugedo, 52. "I would have moved out of Miami by now if not for my husband's additional income."
Beginner teachers have an even tougher time affording Miami. Skyrocketing housing prices combined with relatively low educator salaries have made the area one of the nation's priciest cities for starting teachers.
In the first analysis of its kind, USA TODAY examined salaries and housing costs for teachers all over the country.
New teachers can't afford the median rent almost anywhere in the U.S, the analysis shows — a point often made during recent teacher strikes across the country.
But that's not the full story.
It's not just pay: No matter where they work or what they earn, teachers feel disrespect
Despite widespread demand for higher salaries, teachers in some regions are actually making ends meet, especially as they approach the middle of their careers.
In other areas, mid-career teachers are right to say they can't afford to live on their salaries without picking up side hustles or commuting long distances. Some of those places are only affordable for the very highest-paid teachers.
And then there are places that no teacher can afford, no matter how much they earn. Like CONTINUE READING: Teachers’ pay: Salaries often can’t cover rent, cost of living