One of the most common beliefs I hear from teachers, who are quietly considering a move beyond the classroom, goes something like this: “I’d love to leave… but I’d have to take a pay cut, so I can’t.”
It sounds practical and responsible and there’s an element of common sense with this thinking too. However, let’s take a few moments to consider whether this is fact or fiction.
Everyone is a unique individual trying to do their best in a complicated world, so these five things may not resonate with everyone, but they are worth considering before you let the belief ‘I can’t afford to leave teaching’ decide your future.
1. A pay cut is an assumption, not a certainty
Many teachers assume that leaving teaching automatically means earning less. In reality, salaries outside education vary widely, and many roles value the very skills teachers already have – leadership, communication, problem-solving, organisation, emotional intelligence to name but a few. Until you explore what’s actually out there and not what you imagine is out there, you’re negotiating with a story, not the jobs market.
2. Teaching pay is not always the full picture
When teachers compare salaries, they often compare a known teaching salary with an imagined starting salary elsewhere. What’s missing is the wider context: workload, unpaid hours, emotional labour, long-term sustainability, and progression. A role that pays the same, or slightly less, but allows you to work fewer hours, protect your health, or progress more quickly can change the equation entirely.
3. Fear speaks loudly at crossroads
In moments of uncertainty, the mind is very good at offering reasons to stay exactly where you are. “I can’t afford to leave” may actually mean “this feels risky.” That doesn’t make you weak or impractical, it makes you human. Fear isn’t a sign you’re on the wrong path; rather it can be a sign you’re standing at the edge of something new.
4. Meaning and money are not separate conversations
Many teachers stay because teaching once gave them a deep sense of purpose (even if it no longer does). But meaning doesn’t only live in one profession. When work aligns with who you are now, energy returns, confidence grows, and new opportunities tend to follow, including ones that are financially viable. Clarity has a way of opening doors that force never does.
5. You don’t need to decide anything yet
The most important point of all is that exploring your options does not require you to resign right now. You can get curious without committing. You can research, reflect, have conversations, and test ideas, all while staying exactly where you are. Clarity comes before action, not the other way round.
If you’ve been telling yourself “I have to stay because I can’t afford to leave” it might be time to pause and ask a gentler question such as “What do I actually know and what am I assuming?”This question alone can change everything.
Photo credit: Chatgpt