Download The Survey| Clear The List 2025: The State of Teacher Financial Wellbeing (PDF)

During the summer of 2025, Equable Institute set out to better understand how teachers are faring in their journey toward a secure retirement. In partnership with Teacher Retirement U, Equable’s public worker education arm, we conducted the first annual Clear the List survey of public, private, and charter school teachers and staff.

The results paint an uninspiring picture of teachers’ financial wellbeing. Public, private, and charter school teachers alike indicate they struggle to afford rent, pay for potential emergency expenses, or sock away money for retirement. This leads many teachers to seek alternative sources of income via second or, in some cases, third jobs.

Below are some key findings from our 2025 Clear The List survey. For more detail and breakdowns by school type, age group, and years of experience, download the full survey:

Clear The List 2025: The State of Teacher Financial Wellbeing (PDF)

46% of Teachers Are Unable to Afford Rent Without Living With Roommates or Other Family Members

Almost half of teachers surveyed indicate they cannot afford the cost of rent on their own without the help of roommates or family. The strain is most evident among private and charter school teachers, where 63% and 58%, respectively, are unable to afford rent on their own. Just 45% of public school teachers say the same.

57% of Teachers Are Unable to Save Money Outside of Their Mandatory Retirement Contributions

More than half of teachers report they cannot save money for other priorities, such as a car, emergency fund, or home down payment, outside of their mandatory contributions. Just a third of teachers report that they have a personal savings account.

Fewer Than 1 in 4 Teachers Have a Supplementary Retirement Account Such as a Roth IRA or 403(b)

When it comes to having a supplementary savings account for retirement, such as a Roth IRA or 403(b), the figures point to a lack of retirement readiness. Less than a quarter of teachers overall report having a supplementary retirement account.

Nearly Two-Thirds of Teachers Are Unprepared to Cover a $1,500 Emergency Expense

Given these low levels of retirement and personal savings, it’s perhaps unsurprising that nearly two-thirds of teachers are unprepared to handle an emergency expense of just $1,500 without help from someone else.

One-Third of Teachers Have at Least One Other Job Outside of Teaching

With teachers struggling financially across the board, many of them are turning to other jobs outside of teaching. Overall, one-third of teachers report having at least one other part-time or full-time job.

About the Survey

Equable Institute, in partnership with Teacher Retirement U, collected survey responses from 1,522 school employees, including 1,423 classroom teachers, 55 support staff, four administrators, and 40 other school employees. The findings in this brief reflect the responses of only the classroom teachers who responded to the survey.

Download The Survey| Clear The List 2025: The State of Teacher Financial Wellbeing (PDF)