Schools

Only 1 in 4 Believe Teaching is a Desirable Profession

Two-thirds of Americans say it's one of the most important jobs in America, and many underestimate what teachers are paid.

By Dennis Robaugh

The kids are back at school, homework is being assigned, and we're all one more year closer to graduation. And at the head of the class stands the teacher — still regarded as one of the most important jobs in the country.

But only 24 percent of Americans believe teaching is a desirable profession, according to a recent survey by Rasmussen Reports, and 74 percent underestimate the average teacher salary.

A national telephone survey finds that 67 percent American adults say teaching is one of the most important jobs in the United States today. Just one-in-five (20 percent) disagree, and 13 percent are not sure.

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Fifty-two percent believe public school teachers are paid too little, according to  the survey. Just 15 percent believe teachers are paid too much, while 26 percent say they are paid about the right amount.

In Illinois, the median salary for beginning teachers is $36,361, while the median salary for the most experienced teachers is $72,507. The lowest beginning teacher salaries start at $25,470 and the highest salaries for the most experienced teachers are recorded at $137,037, according to a recent Illinois State Board of Education study.

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The survey of 1,000 American adults was conducted on September 11-12, 2013, by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.


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