Of course, I saw this coming, I chose this career. But now that I actually look at my paycheck I feel gutted and horribly anxious. I work as a special educator in New England at a local public school. I have two college degrees. I love working in special education, I love helping students achieve their goals and solve problems. I constantly hear at my job “the kids love you, the kids NEED you. Thank you for being here” and all that. I worked in the same district last year as a substitute and actually made more money than I do now. My paycheck just came in, and after doing the math, I can expect a take home pay of around $16,000 after taxes, insurance, and union dues. I read a lot about how people making like 80k a year are struggling. How the hell am I supposed to get by on $16k? I don't know what the fuck to do. I already have a second job at a lumber yard on weekends to get by but just staring at this paycheck from my full time job is sending me into a spiral. My rent alone is $15,600 a year (however, that's split between me and my partner). I do, at the end of the day love making a difference in kids lives, I love working for the community in which I live, but holy hell I feel undervalued, depressed, and distraught. My partner is a social worker who doesn't make a significant amount of money either. I know this is just kind of a rant, but I thought I'd be able to make a living doing what I love, serving my community and teaching kids.