Essential Workers Such As Teachers And Healthcare Professionals Are Revealing How Much They Are Paid For Their Labor, And It's Mind-Boggling

We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about their jobs and how much they are paid to do them. The post seemed to attract the attention of many folks who work in helping fields, such as education and healthcare. We decided to highlight these hard workers by sharing a closer look at how much they are actually paid for their extremely difficult jobs. Here's what they had to say:

1."I am a child nutrition manager for a middle school. I make $18,000 before my taxes and insurance come out. I would never be able to survive without my husband’s income."

—alisham48d6e8382

2."People hear the word 'doctor' and think six figures. No one seems to know about the 11+ years of school and training, less than minimum wage pay while being treated like absolute dirt, and six-figure debt. And, that's assuming you get through all the exams and get a residency spot. I love what I do and I know a lot of people have unfortunately had shitty medical experiences, but damn that process sucks! But no one takes our cries seriously because 'doctors make too much money.' I laugh when people say doctors are in it for the money. Many of us don't get to see or use that money until our 40s or older. Even then, it depends on the field (e.g. surgical fields, which have the most abusive and longest residencies, tend to pay more). Important fields for general public health, such as pediatrics or family med, barely crack $100,000 (depending on location)."

—camillec47e77cea1

3."I was a social worker in the US when I had a bachelor's degree. I worked in Chicago and made $34,000 to $40,000. I made $40,000 as a director of social services. This was 8–12 years ago. I'm now a social worker in London with a master's, and I make the equivalent of about $50,400. I owe over $100,000 for student loans. I'm glad I have a degree because I wouldn't have been able to move to London without being a social worker, but these discrepancies are unbelievable. It's wild that teachers and social workers with master's degrees and tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt are making anything under $75,000/year."

—lizzo13

4."Teacher here! I make $32,000/year. I live in one of the lowest-paying states for teaching, which is Wyoming. I know that, compared to some cities (I grew up in NYC), the cost of living is low, but the cheapest rental around here is $1,400 and you need to drive 2+ hours in (usually) the snow to get to a Target or a dentist. Forget taking your kids to a museum or arcade; you’ll have to get an overnight hotel. Our school lost eight teachers last year and we’re unable to fill the vacancies because no one can find a place to live on the salary provided."

—crojohnson14

5."I'm a behavior technician for children with autism. It's a lot like being a therapist. The child's board certified behavior analyst makes the behavior plan, but I am the one who implements it and, therefore, deals with all of the behavior. I have been punched, bitten, kicked, had objects such as desks thrown at me, had hair ripped out, etc. All for $20 an hour."

—aniawerocsy

6."I work in a nursing home, and I make $16/hour. We’ve been so short-staffed for the last 10 years that we’re now doing the job of three people each shift. Breaks don’t exist, and we work 8–12+ hours per day. No food breaks, no bathroom breaks, nothing. It’s impossible."

—cheezenips

7."I'm a mental health clinician at government-funded community services board. The job requires a master's degree. I do assessments in the ER (a 24/7, state-mandated job) for people with acute mental illness who are at risk of hurting themselves, others, or are unable to care for themselves due to mental illness. I make ~$45,000/year."

—Anonymous

8."I work for that company that tests poop for colon cancer. I work in the less technical stage of the testing. We don’t need any degrees or experience. We’re the ones who double check the patient's information and put the poop into test tubes and hand them over to the people that do the actual testing. Our base pay is $20/hour, but because I work overnight, I get a $3.50/hour differential."

—fluffyogre92

9."I work in home healthcare for senior adults. I care for the client by assisting with meds, bathing, changing briefs, and dressing. I also prepare meals, do laundry, and keep the house clean — whatever the client or family needs. Plus, I take clients to doctor's appointments and on outings. I generally make $14.50/hour. I got a small bonus because my state was offering bonuses for frontline workers during COVID."

—dodiec2

10."Going into my sixth year of teaching. I make about $39,000/year. I live in Michigan and work for a small town school!"

—redbarklive

11."I'm a success coach at a community college. I have a master's degree and a number of certifications in the field. I love what I do, but it's a combination of social work and therapy and does not pay enough. I make $42,000/year (gross)."

—jenthenextlevelcoach

12."I've been a nurse for nine years. Working for an agency at a juvenile corrections facility, I make $30/hour, plus I get paid travel time to and from work. My last job was at a nonprofit adult/children's daycare. I made $20/hour (also as an RN)."

—reallyguys21

13."I'm a hospice registered nurse in California and I make $100,000/year before overtime. I work 40 hours a week, but some days I'm done by 1 p.m., and other days I'm working until 6 p.m. But, I make my own schedule, which is nice."

—mirandar4166b598b

14."You can make a good living as a teacher in Washington state. The state Supreme Court forced the state to provide more funding (they actually held the state in contempt to do it), and it resulted in a massive pay increase a few years ago. In my district (Puget Sound area), a first year teacher’s base professional rate is $35.48. My professional rate is around $64/hour, but I’m part time. If I were full time, I’d make around $108,000/year."

—norenelee

15."I was a social worker in a nursing home making $16.80/hour in a big city (granted, this was 10 years ago), and I was doing the work of CNAs as well. So many people say bad things about nursing homes, but people don't get how overstretched they are."

—lizzo13

16."I'm a teacher/reading specialist. I handle small-group interventions for students struggling to read, tracking/reporting student progress, diagnostic testing for all students, and I coach/provide professional development for my coworkers. The job requires a master's degree, and the pay is $55,000 after 12 years."

—Anonymous

17."I'm a third grade elementary school teacher in Florida. I've been doing it for four years. I make $53,000/year. That doesn’t count bonuses. I have an undergraduate degree and two master's."

—mj2005

18."I am a certified medical assistant in Washington state with 15 years of experience. I am a lead in my clinic and I make $30.73/hour."

—k4e39fd4aa

19."I live in Virginia and work in education. I started as a special ed. assistant part-time and made around $11 to $13/hour and got paid for 29 hours/week. Full-time gave me benefits, but I made between $18,000–$21,000/year for the three years I was full-time. I now work as a library assistant and make around $27,000. And all of this is BEFORE taxes/benefits came out."

—Anonymous

20."I work at a private boarding school for children with reading disabilities. I teach full-time from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. five days a week. Once a week, I have dorm duties from 3:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Four weekends a year, I am required to have dorm duties from 9:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. I teach, live, and eat with these kids. I live on the campus for free in exchange for additional duties because I would not be able to afford rent otherwise. With all my responsibilities, I work about 60 hours a week. I get $33,000/year. The cost of tuition for a residential student is $90,000."

—Anonymous

21."I’m a certified medical assistant at an urgent care in Milwaukee, where I’ve been for six years. I make $21.90/hour for 12 hour shifts, so it roughly turns out to be about $40,000/year. It sounds like good money, but for all that we have to do at work, $21.90 is nothing. We literally do the exact same things as nurses at UC except run meds through IVs, and they are paid almost $35/hour. I get the schooling difference, but for having to do the same amount of exhausting work, without any difference regardless of title, it’s pretty maddening."

—Anonymous

22."I've been a milk and formula tech for one year. I started at $15.25/hour, I'm currently at $15.65/hour. My job is to prepare and distribute pediatric formula and breast milk to patients."

—Anonymous

23."I am a math teacher at a private middle school in Richmond, Virginia. This will be my fifth year teaching, I have a master’s degree, and I make $49,000/year."

—Anonymous

24."I am a resource nurse technician at a hospital, and I love it. I love the flexibility of my job. I can pick up a 4, 8, or 12-hour shift any time I want, as long as I hit a certain hour requirement per week. Pay is $18.25/hour with a $2 increase for night shift. I get paid 100% incentive of any shifts over 20 hours a week, and get to travel all around the hospital. I see and learn so much! Soon I will be applying to med school, so this job is awesome at opening my eyes to the healthcare world...and networking!"

—Anonymous

25."I’m a second-year special ed teacher in Washington state. I make $73,000 before taxes."

—katemagate

26."I’m a mental health therapist in private practice in Iowa, and I should make around $85,000 this year."

—Anonymous

27."I'm a family nurse practitioner with over 10 years of medical experience. I work as a consultant and have my own concierge/telehealth practice. I make more than $150,000/annually. It's an amazing field if you love to care for people!"

—Anonymous

28."I'm a seventh grade English teacher in Montana with 11 years of experience. I also coach a sub-varsity sport (11 years of that too). My annual salary for both, since I moved states and was only compensated for five of the nine years experience at the time, and with a bachelor's degree, is ~$52,000. I'm currently pursuing a master's degree, which will put me at $63,000 in two years. If I get an administrative position, I'm looking at starting at $62,500. Make that make sense."

—Anonymous

29."I’m a board certified behavior analyst in North Carolina. I supervise applied behavior analysis therapy services for kids on the autism spectrum. I make $67,500/year."

—Anonymous

30."I'm a medical scribe. I follow the physician into the room with the patient and document everything being said. The chart is mostly completed by me, along with any medicine refills, imaging, or orders. I make $12.50/hour."

—Anonymous

31.Finally: "I'm a surgical tech in Tennessee for a fairly large hospital. I set up complex surgeries, protect the sterile field for patient safety, pass instruments to the surgeon and assistant(s), and I keep instrumentation, implants, grafts, etc. organized and sterile. I do this, among other things, alongside the surgeon, first assist, CRNA, and RN to ensure positive surgical outcomes. I also breakdown the case after it is completed. I make $23/hour, and I had to fight for it. With the current housing market, inflation, etc., in Tennessee, I’m barely living paycheck to paycheck. It’s a lot of work and responsibility for the money."

—Anonymous

What do you do for a living, and how much do you make? Do you live in a state with low or high cost of living? Do you feel as though your salary is fair for your experience level and location? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.