If you return to work after retiring from NYSTRS, be aware it could impact your NYSTRS benefit.
Sections 211 and 212 of the Retirement and Social Security Law govern NYS public employment by service retirees under age 65. Working under Section 211 requires your employer to obtain a waiver.
The current Section 212 earnings limit, determined by the state Legislature, is $35,000 per calendar year.
The earnings limit has been temporarily suspended at times by New York State executive orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in no earnings limit for pay earned:
Newly enacted legislation, Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022, extends the retirement earnings cap suspension through June 30, 2023. The new law only applies to retirees who return to work at a public school district or BOCES. Employment at a charter school, community college, SUNY, or any other public employment is not covered by this law.
You can find more information about post-retirement earnings, including the rules governing work as a consultant, in the pamphlet Working in Retirement and in the Retired Members' Handbook.
If you are under 65 and working for a New York State public employer, you are required to report your earnings to NYSTRS as soon as you reach the limit – even if you worked under a waiver or your public employer contracted with a private, third-party entity to hire you.
If you have a MyNYSTRS account, use the Earnings After Retirement feature to report your earnings.
We recommend reporting monthly, even if you do not intend to exceed the limit. Timely self-reporting helps you track your earnings and avoid having to repay a portion of your retirement benefit.
Those without an account will need to complete and submit the Reporting Your New York State Public Employment Earnings (RMS-64.1) form as soon as they reach the limit.
If you work for a NYSTRS-participating employer (including New York State public school districts, qualifying charter schools, the state Education Department, SUNY or state community colleges), you must provide your NYSTRS EmplID to your employer. In addition to your own reporting, NYSTRS-participating employers must report your earnings to us on a monthly basis.
Please Note: If you are subject to an earnings limit and exceed the limit at any time during a calendar year, NYSTRS will suspend your pension for the remainder of the calendar year if you continue working in New York State public employment.
You also will be required to repay NYSTRS either your retirement benefit for each day you exceeded the limit (applicable to those who worked without a waiver) or the dollar amount you earned in excess of the waiver limit (applicable to those who had a waiver with a specified earnings limit).
Tier 3-6 Members: You must be totally and permanently disabled from all employment to qualify for, and continue to receive, a disability retirement benefit. Employment of any type may jeopardize your disability pension.
Tier 1 and 2 Members: It is possible for Tier 1 and 2 members to receive a disability retirement from their teaching job and then work in a different job that is not affected by their disability. However, the amount of earnings allowed during a calendar year is limited to the difference between your final average salary (or the salary you would now be receiving had you continued in service, whichever is greater) and your retirement benefit.
If you earn more than the limit, your disability benefit will be reduced to reflect the excess earnings. While the calculation of your earnings limit considers income from all forms of employment, it does not include returns on investments (stocks, bonds, etc.) or other disability benefits you are receiving.
ALL Disability Retirees: You must report your gross employment earnings (or confirm you are not gainfully employed) to NYSTRS annually using either the Disability Earnings After Retirement feature in MyNYSTRS or a paper Disability Retiree Statement of Earnings (DIS-153) form, which will be mailed to you each February.
If you are considering returning to paid employment, we urge you to contact the System first to determine eligibility for continued benefits.
Please be aware that a disability retiree may be required at any time to undergo a medical examination by a physician designated by the System. If the NYSTRS Medical Board determines that you are no longer disabled, your disability benefit will be discontinued and you will be restored to active membership.
By Ron White Updated January 04, 2022
Teaching can provide a rewarding career experience for those who enjoy educating young minds. Most teachers, though, opt to leave the classroom once they reach retirement age. At age 65, many teachers can retire with full pension benefits. Many educators, however, choose to continue working after they have retired from teaching careers. Some seek ways to continue shaping young minds. Others simply want to supplement their retirement income. Retired teachers have options for meeting their post-retirement job needs. Jobs for teachers after retirement can still be focused on education, but they sometimes come with certain restrictions.
Retirees with backgrounds in certain fields often can land teaching positions with local community colleges. These colleges often seek part-time retired teachers for hire as adjunct professors, instructors, lecturers and visiting professors.
By investigating the types of courses available at local colleges and by making it known that you can teach those courses as well as some not currently offered, you may be able to land a position with the school. These positions can pay from $1,000 to $5,000 per class for a semester. In most cases, retired teachers must possess a master’s degree to qualify for teaching positions at a college or university. In some instances, though, colleges may hire a retired teacher with only a Bachelor’s degree if that individual has a strong background in a certain field.
Although a teacher may be officially retired, that individual still has an opportunity to continue working in the field. Because most pension plans allow retired teachers to work part-time in the public sector, many retired teachers opt for part-time jobs as teachers and school support staff. Retired teachers have connections to the school districts and principals that once employed them, and those connections can open doors.
Retired teachers may be able to work as classroom aides and part-time office staff. Retired teachers also can work as substitute teachers, but they must be careful to limit their earnings and work hours to avoid violating the terms of pension agreements.
Retired teachers possess all of the skills needed to serve as tutors. Therefore, tutoring jobs suit retired teachers well, and a steady stream of tutoring jobs are available these days as schools and students prepare for important tests used to measure progress and the success of schools and teachers in educating youth. Retirees have the option of working for themselves and often can utilize connections with the schools where they once taught to promote their tutoring businesses. Schools and teachers provide parents with tutor referrals that can open doors for retired teachers looking for tutoring clients. Today, many test prep companies offer tutoring services, and teachers can land jobs with these tutoring companies, which normally pay hourly wages and allow retirees to work as often or as infrequently as they wish.
Some websites, such as Tutor.com, also offer tutoring opportunities. The pay for tutors ranges from about $10 per hour to as much as $60 per hour.
Teachers who retire after lengthy careers generally earn pensions from the states where they taught. In most cases, their pensions are subject to certain restrictions. For example, according to the General Court of New Hampshire, retired teachers in Illinois who return to public-sector jobs are limited in the number of hours and days they can work. The time limit restriction in Illinois is 600 hours or 120 days in a calendar year. Other states also have earnings limitations. The California State Teachers' Retirement System reports that teachers in the state are limited to earning less than $48,428 during the 2021-2022 year. Retired teacher organizations can be a helpful resource when determining what the restrictions are for your state. These pension restrictions do not affect retirees who choose to work in the private sector.
Therefore, individuals who wish to work full-time jobs often opt for private-sector employment.
References
Resources
Writer Bio
Based in Central Florida, Ron White has worked as professional journalist since 2001. He specializes in sports and business. White started his career as a sportswriter and later worked as associate editor for Maintenance Sales News and as the assistant editor for "The Observer," a daily newspaper based in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. White has written more than 2,000 news and sports stories for newspapers and websites. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Eastern Illinois University.
They claim that although they do one of the most important jobs, they have to live on pennies.
Seven years ago, when the crisis began in the country, wages were reduced, and they have not been restored so far, although the economic situation is improving.
Directors of regional gymnasiums complained that teachers' salaries were too low. According to them, teachers cannot live adequately on a salary, and are forced to earn extra money at construction sites or abroad - teachers use vacations for this.
Director of the Vilnius Lyceum Saulius Jurkevičius said that such teachers could be advised to stay in those jobs, because it would be naive to hope that the situation with teachers' salaries will change soon.
They reassure: there are plans
The Ministry of Education and Science reassures: it is planned that from September 2016 the salary coefficients of teachers will be increased by about 1.5%, educators - by 6.5%. In 2017, these ratios are proposed to be increased by 7% and 17%, respectively, in 2018 - by 5% and 10%, in 2109-2020 - by 5% and 15%.
Until 2021, teachers' salaries will increase by an average of 25% compared to salaries before September 1, 2016, and the salaries of preschool teachers will increase by an additional 45%.
True, nothing is said about the elections - after the change of minister, these plans will remain just plans.
How is a teacher's salary calculated?
The salary of teachers depends on education, length of service, qualification category and workload. Pedagogical hours are contact hours (work with students during lessons) and additional hours (preparation for lessons, checking work, class management, etc.). The more lessons a teacher has, the more extra hours he gets. The salary increases if the teacher leads the class, leads circles, organizes events, coordinates internal work in the school. They also pay extra for working with students with special needs or working in grades 11-12.
Theoretically, this sounds nice, but in schools with a small number of students, the teacher does not have enough contact hours, and he also loses the opportunity to earn extra money.
In addition, for a lesson, for example, in Biržai, a teacher can get half as much as his colleague in Vilnius.
In the grip of laws
Principal of the gymnasium. Antanas Baranauskas in Rumšiškės Arturas Cepulis added that teachers in the regions cannot earn more because of the student basket method.
“There are about 60 schools like ours in Lithuania, where there are about 400 children. This means that there are about 30 children in the primary classes. According to the rules, there can be up to 24 children in the first grades. If there are more of them, we are forced to make parallel classes. According to the student basket method, if two incomplete classes are formed, so-called empty places appear that are not funded. But there is nothing we can do to prevent this from happening,” Chepulis said.
Since the school has to fund empty places due to incomplete classes, there is no money left to motivate teachers. In the Čepulis Gymnasium, teachers receive on average 550 euros.
“I know teachers, mostly men, who work in construction during the summer to support their families. There are those who run to different schools - they work in one and the other. They work hard to survive,” he added.
“This year we have a new teacher who has just started working. I try to make his salary at least 400 euros, because as a manager it is inconvenient for me to pay so little for a young, motivated person. I don’t know, maybe his parents help him, but his salary “in hand” now is only 380 euros. If he had 18 contact hours, without additional work, his salary would be minimal,” the director said.
“Young teachers can be attracted to schools, but it is difficult to keep them. Young people often do not have a family, children, they are still maximalists, but then, when a family appears, an appropriate salary is also needed,” Chepulis said.
After 45 years of work, they end up in a psychiatric hospital
Skeptics might say that if teachers work only 18 hours a week and have 56 days of vacation, it is not surprising that they earn little.
But Chepulis argues that the work of a teacher does not begin with the bell for the first lesson and does not end with the bell for the last.
“Teachers can prepare for lessons at home, but it looks like they finish work at 2 pm, when the children's lessons are over. A week is allocated 4.5 hours to prepare for lessons, but teachers devote more time to this. Yes, 56 days vacation, as the job of a teacher is considered emotionally difficult. But during the holidays of students, teachers work: various meetings, meetings are held, documents are being prepared. The job of a teacher is really hard. Working with children for 45 years is not easy. These endless calls then bring teachers to some institutions,” he said jokingly.
Principal of the Gymnasium. Vincas Kudirka in Kudirkos Naumiestis (Šakiai region) Romas Eykevičius admitted that not only working teachers, but also pensioners go abroad to work. Their income often does not exceed 300 euros.
Teachers at his gymnasium earn 500-600 euros.
Why can't schools be closed?
This gymnasium has a small number of students. Although it would seem that the easiest way is to simply close such schools, the director suggests thinking - would you take your children to school 25 kilometers away?
“Formally, it is possible to collect all the children in the morning and take them to school, after school they can go home, but what about those who want to attend different clubs? Is everyone else waiting for them? I think such a long road to school is not very useful for children, you have to get up very early, the children return home later. In addition, in small towns, a school is also needed as a center of light and culture,” he is sure.
Every euro is counted
When asked how teachers manage to survive on such salaries, the headmaster explained that over time they got used to living very modestly.
“Most of our teachers have their own housing, houses, so heating and other utilities are cheaper.
We are used to living like this: counting every euro day after day,” said Eykevičius.
According to him, it is unfair that teachers in large cities are paid more for the same work, and less in the regions.
“I wish this didn't happen. Compare teacher salaries in different countries. In Germany teachers' salaries are about three times higher,” he said.
Some even earn 1,000 euros
Director of the Vilnius Lyceum S. Jurkevičius does not hide the fact that he is critical of teachers' complaints.
“All Lithuanians, including teachers, complain about salaries, regardless of their size. Lithuanians are never enough. It is rare to meet a person who would say: I have enough of how much they pay me,” Jurkevičius said.
He said that teachers in the lyceum have a full workload, and their salaries cannot be called small. Usually teachers earn 800-900 euros "on hand".
“I know schools where teachers earn even 1,000 euros. Salary of 900 euros, vacation for two months, part-time work – the conditions are not bad,” he said.
But he noticed that the policy of calculating teachers' salaries is based on the number of students. Therefore, he acknowledged that there are teachers living on very low salaries. “The problem is that some teachers don't have enough hours, so the salaries are low. But this is a problem of structural reforms of the state,” he said.
“The way teachers are paid is rather vicious and disorderly. This has never been taken seriously, but I do not approve of strikes and rallies. First of all, it does not solve anything, only aggravates important problems. Problems must be solved at the state level, it must be clearly established how the learning process will take place, and then it is already possible to go on strike,” the director said.
How much do teachers earn?
According to the Ministry of Education and Science, pre-school teachers with experience up to 3 years earn 520 euros per month, those with experience of 15 years or more and the highest qualification category - 782 euros.
The salaries of primary school teachers range from 557 to 1140 euros, depending on the length of service and category.
A teacher with 18 contact hours per week, depending on experience and qualifications, earns between 518 and 952 euros. Having 27 contact hours - from 777 to 1350 euros per month. The amounts are before taxes.
They can earn up to 1900 euros
According to the Ministry, the maximum salary of a teacher (an expert teacher with 36 contact hours) can reach 1900 euros before taxes.
According to the Department of Statistics, in the third quarter of 2015, the average salary was 823.4 euros (gross), 632.5 (net).
As of February 22, teachers are on strike in 43 municipalities, in 233 educational institutions. The strike covers 9.81% of institutions. In schools that have gone on strike, not all teachers are on strike.
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The average salary in education and healthcare in Uzbekistan in January-March 2022 grew more slowly than in other areas, which is why the gap with the level of the average salary in the country continues to widen.
According to the State Statistics Committee, for the first quarter, the average monthly salary in Uzbekistan amounted to 3.42 million soums. In the field of education, it reached 2.52 million soums, which is 12.2% more than the figure for the same period in 2021 (2.24 million soums).
At the same time, if in January-March 2017 the average monthly salary of workers in this area was 16.8% lower than the average salary in the country (1.07 million and 1.28 million soums, respectively), then today the salary has increased by 2 .5 times, but the gap has not narrowed, and has increased to 26.5%. For the same period in 2018, this figure was fixed at 20.
4%, 2019 - 17.4%, 2020 - 19.1%, 2021 - 21.9%.
Average salary in education by regions.
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The situation is similar in healthcare and social services, where the average salary in the first quarter increased by 14.2% to 2.33 million soums.
Over five years, the gap in this area has gradually narrowed, but over the past year, all achievements have been leveled. If in January-March 2017 the average monthly salary of workers in the sector was 30.2% lower than the average salary in the country (899.4 thousand and 1.28 million soums, respectively), then in the first quarter of 2022, salaries increased almost 3 times, but the gap reached 32%. For the same period in 2018, this figure was 33.6%, in 2019 - 31.6%, in 2020 - 29.9%, in 2021 - 28.8%.
The reduction in the wage gap in the medical sector with the average salary in 2020-2021 may be associated with bonuses for certain categories of medical workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
The highest level of the average monthly salary is observed in the banking, insurance, leasing and credit intermediary sectors - 8.42 million soums. They are followed by information and communication - 6.5 million soums, transportation and storage - 4.56 million soums, industry - 4.46 million soums, construction - 4.15 million soums and trade - 3.51 million soums.
Economist Mirkomil Kholboev believes that teachers and doctors continue to live in relative poverty in recent years. “Such a loss of their status in society will negatively affect the long-term growth [of the economy]. If decision makers were concerned about the salaries of education and health workers or their position in society, they would prevent the fall in wages that have been observed over several years compared to wages in other sectors, ”he said.
Earlier, in a column for Gazeta.uz, Mirkomil Kholboev wrote that the slower growth of teachers' salaries negatively affects their financial well-being and position in society.
