In Austin ISD, an average teacher’s salary was $50,144 in the 2016-2017 school year, which is the most recent year the data is available. This is about $2,400 less than the state average.

According to an article listed on the Go Banking Rates website, it costs about $73,163 to live comfortably in Austin.

For many teachers, the decision to take on a second job is viewed as a necessity to support their families. We interviewed several Akins teachers about the struggles they face while working a second job.

Akins teachers Jack Rickman, Becky Lego, Stuart Berkowitz, Enrique Reyes and Amin Salek explain some of the challenges they face in making ends meet while earning a teacher’s salary in Austin ISD.