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Published Aug 13, 2026
Percentage of teachers and similar working adults reporting varying levels of financial well-being
NOTE: This figure depicts response data from the following survey question administered to a nationally representative sample of teachers via RAND’s American Teacher Panel between January 28, 2026, and February 21, 2026, and a nationally representative sample of similar working adults via RAND’s American Life Panel between February 5, 2026, and February 25, 2026: “Overall, which one of the following best describes how well you are managing financially these days?” (n teachers= 819; n similar working adults = 498). The response options were as follows: “Living comfortably,” “Doing okay,” “Just getting by,” and “Finding it difficult to get by.” Similar working adults is defined as employed adults ages 18 to 65 who were not part of the teacher workforce and whose highest level of education was a bachelor’s degree or higher. Differences between the sums noted in the figure and the sums of the numbers listed are because of rounding. This work was funded by the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.
Overall
| Group | Finding it difficult to get by | Just getting by | Doing okay | Living comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All teachers | 8% | 25% | 46% | 21% |
| All similar working adults | 4% | 15% | 46% | 34% |
Base salaries: $50,000 or less
| Group | Finding it difficult to get by | Just getting by | Doing okay | Living comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All teachers | 12% | 25% | 48% | 14% |
| All similar working adults | 7% | 25% | 58% | 11% |
Base salaries: $51,000 to $75,000
| Group | Finding it difficult to get by | Just getting by | Doing okay | Living comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All teachers | 10% | 31% | 43% | 16% |
| All similar working adults | 5% | 19% | 55% | 21% |
Base salaries: $76,000 to $100,000
| Group | Finding it difficult to get by | Just getting by | Doing okay | Living comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All teachers | 7% | 19% | 52% | 22% |
| All similar working adults | 3% | 13% | 43% | 41% |
Base salaries: More than $100,000
| Group | Finding it difficult to get by | Just getting by | Doing okay | Living comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All teachers | 4% | 14% | 47% | 35% |
| All similar working adults | 1% | 9% | 39% | 50% |
Household income: $100,000 or less
| Group | Finding it difficult to get by | Just getting by | Doing okay | Living comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All teachers | 14% | 32% | 46% | 8% |
| All similar working adults | 9% | 24% | 51% | 16% |
Household income: $101,000 to $150,000
| Group | Finding it difficult to get by | Just getting by | Doing okay | Living comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All teachers | 6% | 23% | 50% | 21% |
| All similar working adults | 1% | 13% | 59% | 27% |
Household income: $151,000 to $200,000
| Group | Finding it difficult to get by | Just getting by | Doing okay | Living comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All teachers | 4% | 17% | 46% | 34% |
| All similar working adults | 1% | 6% | 38% | 54% |
Household income: More than $200,000
| Group | Finding it difficult to get by | Just getting by | Doing okay | Living comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All teachers | 0% | 12% | 42% | 46% |
| All similar working adults | 2% | 9% | 37% | 53% |
The RAND American Life Panel provides policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with nationally representative survey responses from adults.
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