The Data
Quality of Life
Gallup (a global analytics and advice firm) surveyed a variety of workers to measure physical, financial, and emotional health in their Well-Being Index. The percentage shown is the percentage of respondents ranking their lives at the top of a life-quality ladder minus the percentage ranking their lives at the bottom of the ladder.
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"The nation's teachers score higher than almost all occupational groups on life evaluations plus four of the other five areas of well-being -- including emotional health, healthy behaviors, basic access, and physical health."
The average national starting salary for physics teachers is around $45,000. In Illinois, the median household income is $69,000 and the median single-earner income is $55,000. In the Chicagoland area the median starting salary for physics teachers with a Bachelor's degree is $50,000 and $55,000 for those starting with a Master's Degree. With 15 years of experience as a physics teacher, the median salary is $93,000.
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Salary
Job Demand and Work Availability
According to the findings of the American Association of Employment in Education, there is a significant and continuous shortage of teachers in Special Education, Physics, Chemistry, and Math. A considerable shortage is defined as ranking between 5 and 4.21. In 2018, Physics (P) teachers were recorded at 4.51 as shown below.
Results from the AAEE Educator Supply and Demand 2018 report.
While the "full" retirement age to receive Social Security is 67 in the United States, teachers retire at the average age of 59, compared to the national average of 62+. In Illinois, you are eligible to retire at the age of 55 after serving 20 years (partial benefits) or 35 years (full benefits). The median pension for a teacher in Illinois is more than $55,000., which is considered high compared to other states.
View a breakdown of teacher retirement plans
Information about teacher retirement in Illinois
