Ribbon said:
Mid to high range technology stuff? I know the IT support Officer of a major government support organisation (nation wide) who is a manager in all but name. He has to provide tech support for all local sites, including server, as well as organise a range of contractors to provide IT support to the sites nation-wide (which is why I say he may as well be a manager, because his job is primarily organising the contractors). He is on just under $45 000 a year. If he is overpaid, then surely teachers are too? I also know a lower level IT tech guy working for a private company who after 3 years of study and a few years of work is only just clearing $30 000 a year...
'Most CEOs' - you cannot compare teachers to CEOs. CEOS are extremely rare compared to teachers. They are highly, highly specialised and it takes years and years of study and work experience to rise to the level of CEO. One in hundreds of thousands of graduates in business fields has the ability/will become a CEO but every teaching graduate has the ability to become a teacher. Dido with footballers - alot of people can play football but a very very small number will be skilled enough to become pros. You can't compare teachers pays with those of extremely specialised proffessions which have a very limited number of positions (like movie stars, CEOs (who may as well be 'business stars') and sports stars).
I was replying to the call of "list other overpaid jobs". As stated, I believe (using broad assumptions and illogic as most of the posts here!) that professional footballers ARE overpaid (esp. in soccer) as are most "professional" (note teh stress) athletes in sports where money is an option. Im sorry, but paying a 18 year old US10+ million for 2 years to play basketball (no matter how good he is) is being overpaid....the same goes for the CEO's of large companies whose pay in both options etc is in the millions of $$ a year for running a business (again, it doesnt matter how much it earns or what the business does, its still a business (am using your logic here)
With regards to IT, just because you know a guy (btw: I wouldnt call tech support mid to high range technology stuff...I did that in my last job!) doesnt mean that I dont think they are overpaid. To use your line of argument I also know someone (my brother in law) who is on $125,000/year and he works in IT. His job? To install a pay system into mid to large organisations (he has just finished working at UNSW in the Arts area). Even he admits its ridiculous what he gets paid and he's a contractor so he's the cheaper quote!...Even when you get your computer fixed, its like $60-1$00 an hour...thats overpaying!
As to your point of "non-specialising"...um, not quite. Any Uni graduate (as you sorta pointed out) is a specialist (they trained for it!!) Look at your last point and re-read it
"One in hundreds of thousands of graduates in business fields has the ability/will become a CEO". I think you are underselling (over grossly over-estimating which I guess goes with the job) the ability of any uni graduate (of which you are one). To use your logic, you may not progress any further up the the law tree (sorry I am not familiar with the various bits of law!) because you are not "the one". Ditto with footballers and the like (and you dare to place movie stars in the not overpaid category?..please, what fantasy world are you living in?)
I can compare teachers to any profession I like as I am one! Teaching is a highly specialised job (look at options available in education at Uni alone let alone education in the real world)
Re-read what I said, in the context of the question that was asked and please stop being so defensive.
"but every teaching graduate has the ability to become a teacher"...gold comment...Hope you learn to do better than this when you are out in the real world (though you may not be using your logic!!)
*stir*
