Do teachers get paid in the summer? This question is on many people’s minds whether they just started their first teaching job or are considering becoming a teacher.
No, technically, teachers do not get paid in the summer if they are not actively teaching. However, most teachers have the option to spread their pay for ten months of work over an entire 12 month period.
This is not the same as getting paid for summer vacation, as their contract specifies their pay for a certain number of working days per year.
Many people think teachers get a paid two-month vacation every summer, but that is a myth.
As you’ll see further down, not only do they not get paid during the summer, teachers are expected to do a lot of unpaid work during the summer and other breaks to prepare for being in the classroom.
However, the option to spread out ten months of pay over twelve months is one that most teachers use to their advantage. It can help with their personal finance management to receive a steady paycheck throughout the year.
Imagine if your job paid you for ten months and you just got nothing for the last two months of the year. It makes it very hard to budget for recurring monthly expenses like rent, utilities, food, and transportation that you still need when you aren’t working.