If you think that living on a teacher's salary is inadequate, try child care.

US Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Child Care WorkersPay depends on the educational attainment of the worker and the type of establishment. Although the pay generally is very low, more education usually means higher earnings. Median hourly earnings of wage and salary child care workers were $8.06 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $6.75 and $10.01. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $5.90, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $12.34. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of child care workers in 2004 were as follows: Other residential care facilities $9.66 Elementary and secondary schools 9.22 Civic and social organizations 7.62 Other amusement and recreation industries 7.58 Child day care services 7.34 Earnings of self-employed child care workers vary depending on the hours worked, the number and ages of the children, and the location. Benefits vary, but are minimal for most child care workers. Many employers offer free or discounted child care to employees. Some offer a full benefits package, including health insurance and paid vacations, but others offer no benefits at all. Some employers offer seminars and workshops to help workers learn new skills. A few are willing to cover the cost of courses taken at community colleges or technical schools. Live-in nannies receive free room and board. Whether people want to stay home or not, sometimes people must work. The people who must must also leave their children with the low-priced care. Low income, few resources, minimal child care. The hits just keep on coming. For even more entertaining reading, take a look at the educational requirements. My oldest daughter provided in-home child care for a family (two little boys) when she was in high school. She charged them $8.50/hour. They thought they had died and gone to heaven: she cooked for them, she read to them, she helped them with their homework, she took them to the park, she had first aid training. She loved them. Then she went to college.