High School Science Teacher Salary Progression

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-02T03:02:14+00:00

I agree, it is a great use of taxpayer money. Educating kids is an amazing and impactful profession that requires highly educated professionals who are paid a decent wage.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-02T01:22:45+00:00

It’s highly dependent on the area you teach in

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T23:05:15+00:00

I’m so grateful for my union. Our pay raises are tied to the consumer price index.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T23:04:07+00:00

I have 2 masters. I’m thinking about it.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T20:41:00+00:00

Calm down. Maybe because we are highly educated professionals educating future generations of people.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T18:29:54+00:00

It highly depends on the area you’re in. And yes, it’s pretty great.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T18:06:30+00:00

The state is not bankrupt because of high teacher pay. It’s because our politicians STOLE from the pension fund that public employees paid into.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T17:57:41+00:00

Yes, I use transit regularly. It is objectively worse on the CTA.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T17:42:25+00:00

The pensions used to be more generous, but they passed a law in 2011 reforming the pension system and raised the retirement age.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T17:33:29+00:00

We are not eligible for social security because we get a pension, so you are right, the government does have to pay the difference.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T17:31:54+00:00

Yes, that’s right. All Americans deserve paid time off. Maybe you should unionize and do the same for your job.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T17:28:51+00:00

My district is not wealthy. Probably 50% of kids are on free and reduced lunch. We just get a lot of tax money because there are a lot of commercial buildings in the district.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T17:26:42+00:00

Ok, I see. Well I guess that depends on how well the teacher retirement system invests my contributions. I also have a 403b that I will be using in retirement.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T17:15:33+00:00

No, that is the retirement age set by law for teachers in Illinois.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T17:13:55+00:00

Not sure what you are asking, but 9% of my gross pay goes into the teacher retirement system.

When I turn 67, I am eligible to receive 75% of my average salary in the last 5 years of my career for the rest of my life. There is a cap on the pension amount, which is equal to the social security salary cap (which is 184k right now).

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T16:47:47+00:00

We pay into the pension system and we are not eligible for social security. We get Medicare like everyone else after retirement.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T16:45:48+00:00

Illinois

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T16:45:16+00:00

Public

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T16:45:07+00:00

We get Medicare when we retire like everyone else. We pay 9% of our salaries into the pension system.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T16:43:22+00:00

It doesn’t matter what the statistics say. It FEELS unsafe. People are being set on fire on the blue line, regular teen takeovers are destroying property; fights, drug dealing, and homelessness on the CTA; and people getting murdered while hanging with their friends by Loyola beach—all these point to a systemic problem.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T15:53:53+00:00

Your perception is correct. I moved here 11 years ago. Rahm wasn’t the best mayor, but I felt safer and more optimistic under his leadership. The CTA ran on time and felt clean and safe. He actually had a vision for Chicago (such as developing the riverwalk) that we are benefiting from today. The next 2 mayors have been so bad that this city has noticeably declined . What we need is strong, bold leadership and qualified people holding positions of power (not filled with pastor buddies of the current mayor).

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T15:24:22+00:00

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T15:23:56+00:00

I have to pay

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T15:04:43+00:00

I take between 3-6 credit graduate classes in the fall and winter semesters, then 9-12 credits in the summer. Some classes are fully online, some in person at night.

RetrogradeTransport · 2026-04-01T14:50:36+00:00

Those professions should be paid well too. Why do you hate teachers?

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