Perceptions of Teachers' Salaries and Non-salary Benefits

Rowsey and Ley asked undergraduate students in education and engineering to estimate the mean salaries for four groups: beginning teachers in Alabama, all teachers in Alabama, beginning teachers in the United States, and all teachers in the United States. Although estimates made by prospective engi neers were generally more accurate than were those made by prospective teachers, both samples underestimated mean salaries for all but one group, be ginning teachers in the United States. Males in both samples generally sub mitted more accurate estimates than did the females. Prospective teachers indi cated that non-salary benefits, such as personal satisfaction of teaching and ad vantages of the school calendar, were important aspects in their decisions to become teachers. Of the engineering students who had once considered teaching, most reported that low salary was the primary reason they did not pur sue a career in education.