I know a lot of people on this sub are struggling, and I see many posts about toxic work environments. I personally have done two separate 5+ yearlong stints in retail with virtually no time off, no benefits, and shit pay. My current job dramatically improved the quality of my life.
I can't speak for every college because I've only worked here. But I've talked to people who have, and my experience appears to be fairly typical, maybe above average. It's also probably better at major universities than at community colleges.
So here it is: I get 18 days of paid time off per year, plus holidays (so maybe 22 or so total). For every 3 years I'm here, I get an additional 5 days (up to 28 + holidays).
I'm the equivalent of maybe a mid-level manager, and I make about $28 per hour. I'm pretty sure housekeeping makes $16-17, and general maintenance is around $20-22. It's still taboo to talk about pay here, so I don't know 100% but I've been able to figure it out over time.
My healthcare premiums are $1,200 per month. My employer pays 90% of it. Dental and vision are 100% covered.
I can take up to 4 classes for free per year. I could get a masters in probably about 4 years for $0 if I chose to do so.
Lunch is unpaid, so my workday is actually technically 9 hours which kind of sucks. But if the workload requires actually staying and working through lunch, I get overtime pay for that hour as long as I work more than 40 hours for that week.
I am never expected to reply to a text/call/email on nights or weekends or while on leave. I did when I first got here but my supervisor told me to stop.
There aren't really any remote roles that I've seen, but occasional remote work is allowed on a case-by-case basis.
So, the point of this post is if you're looking for a new job and there is a college near you, I highly recommend applying. It really is the best environment I've ever worked, and I hope somebody out there who is struggling can find the same quality of life improvements that I've experienced.