Is Teaching the Ultimate CoastFIRE Job

So you hit CoastFIRE. Your job sucks and you are trying to find a new path forward. Maybe you have 20 year or if you were really lucky 30 years until your Coast retirement date. You want to make a career change but you are still trying to figure out exactly what. If that is your case have you considered teaching?

Most people capable of pursuing CoastFIRE probably have a degree since it requires you to make money early in your career. If so, the training needed to become a teacher is not ridiculous. Also, there are ways to test the waters before going in as a non certified teacher or substitute teacher. See if it interests you, see if kids are something you want to work with.

Now, why teaching?

Teaching has built in purpose

you are teaching kids, seeing them grow and being a good influence on their development. You can be a soccer coach and role model, you can pursue a subject that you are interested in, such as Mathematics or History.

Good Hours and Vacation Time

Teachers are often required to work over 40 hours a week but if you are CoastFIRE and don't need to do much extra you can set it up to have your own schedule. Some teachers have a free first period or a free last period, you can work 7am - 3:30pm or 9am - 5pm. You will need to game the system a little and it might take a few years to get in a spot were you can do this. However once you are comfortable you can set it up as you please.

The average teacher gets 10 weeks of vacation or 70 - 80 days off a year. Not including vacation. If their are 260 working days a year and you have 80 days of vacation you are off for 30% of the year. That is basically a part time job. That is 30% of the year to travel, sit at home, work on a passion, hang with your family, watch all the movies that came out this year. Use your imagination, over 30 years you are getting 2400 more days than the average worker or 19,200 hours more than the average worker back of your life.

That simply cannot be beat.

Great CoastFIRE Benefits

Teachers are not paid amazing but assuming you are CoastFIRE you won't need to worry too much about retirement. They are paid well enough in most states and countries as well. In California teachers get $95,000 to start. Raises happen every year and teachers often can work side hustles such as tutoring or seasonal jobs. For example, you can be a soccer coach.

Further, teachers get pensions which are based on the teacher's final average salary, years of service, and a multiplier. So after 20 years you will receive a set pension, plus your CoastFIRE savings, plus social security or whatever else you have saved over the years.

Teachers get group plans on health insurance, in many states, after retirement you will get cheaper health insurance and support.

Choose your location

Teachers, particularly in STEM are needed everywhere. What does this mean? You can choose to work in which ever state or country you choose. You can make choices based on benefits from state to state, country to country, you can work in neighborhoods you like and choose whereever you like. This is an extremely good benefit that is not talked about enough.

To be clear, teachers are understaffed, underpaid and undersupported. This is not an all roses profession. Still though, to make your life worth something, to live a life with meaning, and consistency it is not a bad choice. Over work, burnout are common in this profession but if you feel like you are a good fit, I think its worth considering.