Viral
Teacher Quits His Job To Become Walmart Manager, Now Makes $20,000 More ‘Without Using Degree’
With inflation, teachers make $2,179 less than they did ten years ago.
For the past six years, Sethy Gabriel has enjoyed teaching, but sadly he has left the career path because of the pay. He taught second and first grade, coached football and track, and taught summer school, earning just $43,000 a year as a teacher in Ohio. With lesson planning, grading, report cards, and after-school events, Sethy recalled weeks he had put 60 hours into work.
But so far, his job has Walmart isn’t the same! He now makes over $20K a year, and compared to the time he puts into teaching, he works a 45-hour week.
In his viral video, with an overlaid that reads: “Leaving teaching after 6 years to go be a manager at Walmart and make more not using my degree,” Sethy revealed he now earns $65,000 to $70,000 as a Walmart Coach, depending on bonuses and once he rose to the role of manager, he could earn over $100,000.
@sg_powerlifting Its not even close….. #fyp #walmart #education #leavingteaching #walmartcoach #careerchange ♬ Camera Shutter Click (Digital SLR Photo Camera Taking Pictures) [Version 3] – Finnolia Sound Effects
In a follow-up clip, he told viewers: “I don’t know if you know about those long hours of lesson planning, grading, report cards and after school events, if you’re a coach it’s even worse. I remember weeks where I probably put in 60 hours.”
As it turns out, Sethy is far from the only teacher to leave education for a retail job, as the comments of his video revealed. One person wrote: I did the same. I love teaching and miss my students but left to be [operations] manager for more than double my teaching pay.” Another said: “I’m in school to be a teacher. I’m starting to regret it.” A third added: “I was going to school to be a teacher, been at Walmart 5 years and make more than I would with some degrees.”
@sg_powerlifting Replying to @y32413 ♬ original sound – Sethy Gabriel
Some people pointed out teaching is so much for little pay; therefore, there’s a need to pay teachers better.
Meanwhile, a few said there are perks to being a teacher despite the low pay. One pointed out: “Teaching pays off in the later years. Get more education to get to the higher steps, and you also get yearly steps.” Another said: “Your degree will still come in handy when you start working through all the different job responsibilities. Someone else stated: “Making more money. But now, you don’t have that summer vacation, spring vacation, or winter vacation. Every major holiday off. Weekends off.”
A fourth expressed: “You can’t put a price on the satisfaction you get when you have an impact on some kids life through teaching though.”
Merrimack College reported that teachers’ job satisfaction hit an all-time low this year. Participants claimed they felt overworked, underpaid, and under-appreciated. 12% said they were satisfied, while more than half said they wouldn’t advise their younger selves to pursue a career in teaching. National Education Association said the average teacher salary for the 2021-2022 school year was $66,997, but soaring inflation has outpaced pay.
