A new report from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation has put precise numbers to something teachers around the world already know in their bones.
One in five teachers finds it difficult to get by on their household income. Just over half say they are barely making ends meet. That means roughly seven in ten teachers are either struggling or surviving, not thriving.
These are not numbers from a country in economic crisis. This is the United States, where the average teacher salary sits at over $72,000 a year. On paper, reasonable. In practice, insufficient.
What the Data Actually Shows
The Gallup report surveyed K-12 teachers across the United States. The findings are stark. One in five teachers are finding it difficult to get by on their household income. Teachers struggling financially are more likely to have a second job unrelated to education, with 46% saying they have at least one. A third of those with a non-teaching second job say it negatively impacts their classroom work.
Overall, 71% of teachers hold at least one second job, and nearly one in three works in roles outside education, often during the school year.
The Compounding Effect on Classrooms
Financial stress does not stay outside the classroom door. Financially strained teachers are more likely to feel burned out and less likely to envision themselves teaching long term. Just under half of those who find it difficult financially plan to remain a classroom teacher for the rest of their career, compared with 63% of those living comfortably.
Why This Is Not Just an American Problem
In India, the Teachers' Voice Survey 2026 found that private school teachers are leaving the profession in significant numbers, with low salaries cited as the most frequently mentioned challenge. In Vietnam, the government found the situation serious enough to legislate teacher salaries at the highest level in the public service pay scale. Across Southeast Asia and India, teacher pay consistently lags behind other graduate professions.
The One Finding That Gets Overlooked
Two-thirds of teachers plan to stay in K-12 education for the rest of their careers. Despite everything, the majority of teachers still want to teach. They are not leaving because they stopped caring. They are leaving because the systems around them have not made staying sustainable. That is a solvable problem. It requires investment, not inspiration.