At private schools in New York City, there are instances where teachers earn salaries that fall below the tuition fees paid by students’ families.
A recent investigation revealed that in some of the city’s top K-12 private institutions, full-time teachers may earn over $17,000 less than what parents pay for their child’s kindergarten education.
At the same time, these schools have amassed significant endowments, often compensating principals with salaries exceeding $1 million.
“While I was in New York, I constantly stressed over finances,” shared Bryce Grossberg, a former educator at the prestigious Upper West All-Girls’ College. “Living on my salary there was nearly impossible. I mean, it really felt that way.”
In universities, substitute teaching at junior high schools pays around $25 an hour, which is even below what Mayor Mamdani reportedly paid for emergency snow shoveling during the winter. On the other hand, tuition stands at $68,900.
Grossberg, who has a Ph.D. and studied at Harvard, mentioned that she earned $55,000 from 2005 to 2018 while working at elite prep schools, such as the College and Packer Institute. Having an autistic son requiring special services made it even more challenging for her to afford living in the city.
“Basically, I was tutoring all the time just to get a break on mortgage and rent,” she reminisced. “[My colleagues] were always looking for side work, tutoring, or picking up summer school jobs.”
At Dalton University, tuition was $67,480, whereas recent teacher salaries ranged from $66,000 to $69,000.
However, Grossberg noticed that many of her peers managed because of their privileged backgrounds. “The harsh reality is that a lot of teachers came from private school backgrounds, and many have trust funds,” she reflected. “Plus, having a wealthy partner goes a long way.”
For those without such financial support, the disparity in pay can be stark compared to the considerable wealth present in New York’s private educational sector.
At Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, for instance, tuition costs $59,000, but associate teachers for subjects like Spanish, music, or art might only earn between $52,000 and $60,000 annually.
As Grossberg pointed out, it’s a struggle for private school teachers to sustain themselves in the city without financial assistance from a wealthy spouse or family assets.
Meanwhile, the principal’s income reached $1 million in 2023, consisting of a base salary of $983,000 and an additional $192,000, based on tax records.
Nightingale Bamford School, an all-girls institution on the Upper East Side, has reported a salary for a Kindergarten Associate Teacher ranging from $54,000 to $60,000, while the tuition for kindergarten is set at $71,600. Their principal’s salary is also projected to exceed $1 million for the upcoming academic year.
Interestingly, many private school teachers earn less than their public school counterparts. Starting salaries in public schools are around $68,900 for those with a bachelor’s degree, and $77,500 for master’s degree holders.
This minimum salary is influencing what private schools can offer. Dalton School has been advertising positions for 1st and 2nd grade associate teachers with salaries between $66,000 and $69,000, while tuition there is set at $67,500, with the principal also earning over $1 million.
Emily Glickman, who has spent 27 years guiding families through the private school admission process in New York City, notes the disconnect in perceptions of teacher pay relative to tuition costs.
“There’s a clear gap in understanding between what families think goes to teachers and where the money actually goes,” she observed. “Families assume tuition is allocated for teachers, but a significant portion is directed towards the wider institutional framework.”
Grossberg experienced this firsthand while teaching middle and high school students. “Some students would ask, ‘Mr. Grossberg, what are your summer plans?’ And I’d say, ‘Oh, just vacuuming my apartment in Brooklyn,'” she recalled. She has even written a book about her experiences called “I Left My Homework in the Hamptons.”
Glickman remarked that parents often misunderstand how $70,000 tuition relates to teacher salaries.
As an associate middle school teacher at Brearley, another all-girls school, the fees are around $63,700 with tuition hitting $66,800.
Ethical Culture Fieldston, described as a progressive K-12 school, advertises a role for an associate teacher with a salary of $60,200 against a tuition cost of $68,200.
Interestingly, a spokesperson stated that the median income for teachers there is higher at $137,000, while the school’s CEO pulls in $949,000 for 2024, as noted in public records.
Efforts to reach Brearley, Dalton, College, Nightingale Bamford, Riverdale, and Grace Church School for comments yielded no responses.
Paul Rossi, previously a high school math teacher at Grace Church School from 2012 to 2021, commented on the stagnation of private school teacher salaries compared to public school wages. “Over time, salaries for teachers with significant experience at New York’s ‘elite’ private schools may start to resemble public school salaries, but there’s a long way to go,” he mentioned, attributing part of this gap to the influence of public school unions.
He’s noted that many private school teachers consciously choose to accept lower pay. “It can cause frustration, but most see it as a trade-off,” he explained. “Teachers moving to private schools usually accept a pay cut for a more favorable working environment, often sacrificing as much as $20,000 a year, but escaping the bureaucracy and serious discipline issues.”
He continued, “It’s generally accepted that most private school teachers have lower salaries than public school educators. For many, the higher public school salaries are thought of as ‘hazard pay.’ It’s somewhat akin to the differences between drilling a standard oil well and an offshore one.”
