It's tough to make a living, and it seems to be getting tougher. In many cases, it simply isn't possible to work a single job and expect to be able to keep a roof over your head anymore.
One TikToker shared her experience of struggling with rent. Incredibly, despite holding down two jobs as a teacher and a server, she's still having trouble making rent.
We hear a lot about how teachers get summers off and all that, but it's a demanding job, often for low pay. There's a reason why so many of us choose not to get into teaching. There's also a reason for teacher burnout being a real problem.
You can find Lexie on TikTok @missfirment. It seems like she's in a bit of a crisis at the moment. She doesn't say anything in the video. It simply shows her dancing behind a text overlay describing her situation. It's kind of a real-life version of the "This is fine" meme.
According to her caption, Lexie currently works as a teacher and as a server. After a tough day at work (as a server), she came home to realize that she has $1,600 in rent due in two weeks. She evidently won't be able to pay it.
This is a bit disappointing. TikTokers deal with a lot of trolls and haters, and there would no doubt be a few in Lexie's comments, but the comments section is often a great place for others to share their stories.
This is a nearly impossible question to answer, as tenured university professors make very comfortable livings, while young teachers make almost nothing.
That said, let's give it a shot. Mississippi pays its teachers the least, at an average salary of $45, 192. The state spends $8,935 per student per year.
Let's go from the lowest-paying state, Mississippi, to the highest-paying state, New York. Teachers in the Empire State make an average of $87,543 per year, while the state spends $24,040 per student per year.
Overall, 19 states pay an average salary of more than $60,000 a year. Four states pay less than $50,000 a year.
We're not sure which state Lexie lives in.
We don't have a lot of context for Lexie's TikTok video, but it still brings up what can be a hot-button issue: teachers, and how much we pay them.
If you're a teacher, we want to hear from you. Be sure to share your thoughts, experiences and stories in the comments section!
