New Research Reveals The Majority of American Teachers Are Facing Financial Stress

The majority (61%) of teachers in the U.S. are stressed about their finances, with many either getting a second job or considering leaving their job for one that pays more.

70% of teachers say it would be helpful to be paid more frequently than twice per month, according to new research from DailyPay conducted by The Harris Poll.

An Innovative Solution: More Frequent Pay

“One solution to help our frontline hero teachers is the employer-offered financial wellness benefit of earned wage access,” said Alex Haig, Vice President, Public Sector, DailyPay. “With this benefit, teachers are empowered with choice and control over their earned wages to pay bills on time and live a better financial life.”

Infographic showing financial stress statistics. 61% are stressed about finances, 42% struggle to pay bills on time, 27% ran out of money between paychecks, 20% couldn't pay a bill, and 22% got a second job.
Infographic with five circles showing financial stress statistics: 61% are stressed about finances, 42% struggle with bill payments, 27% ran out of money, 20% couldn't pay a bill, and 22% took extra jobs.
Infographic with four statistics about DailyPay: 60% say it reduces financial stress, 63% say it provides more time for other activities, 94% of companies believe it improves productivity, 52% feel more valued.
Bar chart displaying survey results: 60% reported reduced financial stress, 63% reported more time for other activities, 94% of companies noted increased productivity, and 52% felt cared for by their employer.

1 DailyPay User Survey, August 2023; 2, 4 DailyPay Employee Experience Research, Arizent study commissioned by DailyPay, September 2023; 3 DailyPay User Survey, August 2023

Illustration of a hand dropping coins towards a smartphone and a credit card on a table, representing mobile payments.

Survey Methodology

The research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of DailyPay among 508 adults who are employed full-time in education as K-12 teachers in public districts, public charter, or private schools.

The survey was conducted from 18th April to 24th April 2024. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval.

For this study, the sample data is accurate to within ± 6.1 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact david.schwarz@dailypay.com.

The DailyPay Solution

DailyPay’s EWA Platform boosts employee financial wellness and keeps them more engaged, motivated and happier at work. For employers, this translates to improved retention and increased productivity.

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See Why Top Companies Choose DailyPay

Empowering for Employees

Greater financial control with access to 100% of their DailyPay balance to meet the challenges of unexpected financial disruptions.


Improve planning with visibility to spending and earned pay in one easy-to-use app.


No need for a pre-existing checking or savings account.

Simple and Secure for Employers

Minimal change to payroll processes — DailyPay handles it all.


Seamless integration with HCM, payroll, banking and benefit applications.


Enterprise-grade platform that keeps data private and the service running so it's always there when your employees need it.