Academic Advisor career vs. Elementary Teaching Career?

Question

What would you choose: an Academic Advising career - working with college students at a major university - making in the low 20s....

OR

Working as an elementary teacher - working in a 4th - 8th grade classroom - making in the low 40s?

Answer 1

Depends on you, you like money but being driven crazy or money isnt a big deal and you would like to be able to think through out the day with hopefully more mature students

Answer 2

As the other respondent indicated ... "that depends."

However, to anser you question directly, for me, without hesitation, it would be the Academic Advisor career.

If dollars are a critical issue -and, for many people it certainly is an issue- I'd consider alternative ways for making up the difference.  For example, while maintaining my position as an Academic Advisor I'd consider getting a Masters Degree in an area, say, counseling psychology where, once I complete the requirements for the degree I now have two other options available to me, i) possible part-time practice as counselor, and/or ii) teaching at the college level (yes, you absolutely can with a Masters degree).

At the same time, if you are considering taking the elementary school teacher position because it pays more, please know a few facts: recent data indicates that, on average, about 20% of new (American) teachers leave the teaching profession within three years; that number soars to over 45% leaving by the fifth year.

What does that mean?  Well, as you probably know, most teachers today believe they do anything but teach, i.e., they mediate and negotiate; they are surrogate parents; they act as police persons as well as spys; they must be patient as well as skilled in dealing with the relentless barrage of emotional issues that children take to school daily;  they witness children in pain and suffering much more than they should; they do less and less instruction for learning and more and more teaching to the test.

If that's worth $40K and the attendant heart-aches ... well, what can I say.

Good luck!