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    Entrepreneur News

    A Florida Waitress Claims Waiting Tables Is Better Than a Career in Education 

    DunniBy DunniJuly 8, 20245 Mins Read
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    People of different professions in medical masks
    Source: arperevozchikov/Freepik
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    It is commonplace for college students to maintain part-time jobs while pursuing their baccalaureate. Such jobs help them pay some expenses while earning their degree or diploma. 

    A waiter, after clearing a table
    Source: ILO Asia-Pacific/Flickr

    Some of these part-time jobs are in the service industry, with many seeing waiting tables, as a cool source of easy income. However, many students retain these jobs even post-graduation. 

    From Teaching to Waiting Tables  

    Genevieve Sleboda is one of those people who continue waiting tables even after earning their degrees. Sleboda shared in a now-viral TikTok video how she went to obtain a master’s degree in education. 

    Legs of a waitress
    Source: ChrisGoldNY/Flickr

    However, Sleboda has discovered over time that none of the education jobs she found could help her make rent. 

    Waiters Make More Than Teachers?  

    So, the Florida resident opted for a compromise, taking up an offer to wait tables at a bar. According to Sleboda, this job pays better than the ones in her education specialty. 

    Teacher Asking a Question to the Class
    Source: Max Fischer/Pexels

    Sleboda felt that slaving it out on education from 9 to 5 was not worth the meager sum that these jobs paid. So, she opted for the flexibility of doing less and earning more. 

    Interesting Career Transitions Prompted By Economic Realities 

    The TikTok post has now been deleted, but Sleboda was reported to have said in the video, “In this economy, as a post-grad Gen Z, I cannot afford to start a career on a first-year salary, I tried doing what I love — it doesn’t work out for me.” 

    Waitress in white in a cafe in Paris, France
    Source: Zoetnet/Flickr

    An assessment of the pay of people with education jobs reveals they are not the worst in the market.  

    Teachers Are Not Low-Rung Earners

    According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), teachers earn an annual median of $61,250. Meanwhile, the national median yearly earnings in the US is $59,540, indicating that teachers earn above the national average.

    Teacher before a chalkboard
    Source: Tumisu/Needpix

    However, Sleboda thinks that her serving jobs help her break even more than the education employment opportunities. 

    The Misery of Living Paycheck to Paycheck  

    According to Sleboda, she lived paycheck to paycheck when she had an education job. When paying rent, she often had to take out money from her savings to make up for it.    

    Teaching grade school students
    Source: Woodleywonderworks/Flickr

    In the TikTok video, Sleboda did not say how much she paid for rent. However, a quick research on Rent.com revealed that an average Floridan incurs about $2,099 monthly in rent.     

    Juxtaposing Teachers’ and Servers’ Pay  

    The monthly estimate shows that the cost of rent in Florida amounts to about $25,000 a year. Compared to her $61,250 annual pay as a teacher, rent would eat up roughly 41 percent of Sleboda’s annual income. 

    A cheerful waitress
    Source: Luckylife11/Needpix

    According to the BLS’s books, servers make an average of $29,120 yearly, which is way lower than her education remuneration. 

    Servers May Be Better Off Financially Than Teachers  

    What servers lack in basic pay, they tend to make up in tips. However, the tips are not consistent. 

    Waitress of the Bernese Chalet
    Source: HOUSE OF SWITZERLAND/Flickr

    For example, Adia, a staffing company, suggests that servers make an average of $100 per night. When extrapolated, that figure adds up to $500 a week and as much as $24,000 a year in tips alone. 

    Servers Work on Their Terms 

    Add the total annual tips servers earn to their basic pay, and they net roughly the same amount as teachers. Besides earning roughly the same amount as teachers, some servers, like Sleboda, may even be better off. 

    Waitress in a café in the center of underwater, the Netherlands
    Source: Zoetnet/Flickr

    In addition, servers don’t have to slave out extra unpaid work hours like teachers. 

    Get an Advanced Degree and Get a Salary Upgrade 

    Over the years, the consensus has been that people should pursue higher or more degrees to increase their earning capacity. However, over time, the cost of acquiring a degree has made it more of a burden than a benefit. 

    Preparation for training teachers
    Source: Chenspec/Wikimedia Commons

    An Education Data Initiative suggests that a master’s degree holder has about $53,500 to $88,700 of debt trailing them for most of their career. 

    Serving the Banks or Earning a Degree?  

    Of course, a master’s degree holder earns a competitive salary. However, they need to recoup Uncle Sam for several years after graduation to clear their loan and start saving. 

    First-grade teacher with group of students
    Source: Alliance for Excellent Education/Flickr

    So, it may be wise to do a cost-benefit analysis before enrolling in that advanced degree. Ask yourself if the end justifies the means. 

    Your Profession Will Determine if an Advanced Degree Is Worth the Sacrifice    

    Investing in an advanced degree in certain specialties may be worth it. Doctors and lawyers, for example, may optimize their earnings by acquiring an advanced degree. 

    Teacher Appreciation Week
    Source: Kiran891/Wikimedia Commons

    However, a BLS report suggests that such a move is not advisable for someone in education. Having a master’s degree does not make very much difference in a teacher’s pay. 

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