Teachers get paid relatively little due to a combination of historical, economic, social, and structural factors. Key reasons include the historical undervaluation of teaching as a profession, especially as it has been traditionally female-dominated, leading to systemic low wages; lack of respect and societal value assigned to teaching; budget constraints and political factors limiting education funding; the fact that teacher salaries are often fixed by district or union agreements with little market competition; and an oversupply of teachers driven by passion for the profession, which keeps salaries low compared to other careers requiring similar education levels. Additionally, while some argue pensions partly compensate for lower salaries, these benefits do not fully offset the pay gap, especially since many teachers do not remain in the profession long enough to benefit. Real wages for teachers have also stagnated or declined over decades when adjusted for inflation, worsening the pay situation.
