Teacher Making $53,000 Says She Could Earn More as a Waitress

A story posted on the website of the state’s largest teachers union describes a teacher from Holly Area Schools who took a second job. In the article, Andrea Catalina says she could make more money as a waitress than as a teacher.

The article stated: “Catalina could make more money waitressing full-time, but she prefers to stay in education.”

ForTheRecord says: According to figures provided by the school district, Catalina earned $52,997 in 2015-16. School employees also receive health insurance benefits more generous than those enjoyed by most private sector workers. Teachers in Holly schools are offered a basic health care plan that doesn’t require employees to pay premiums.

While it's possible a waiter or waitress could earn more than a public school teacher, the average salary for waiters and waitresses around the country is $23,020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The salary website Glassdoor puts the average national salary for waiters and waitresses at $18,280 a year. Glassdoor bases its calculations on 11 million reviews covering a half a million companies.