The former teacher says he doesn’t need any further qualifications to climb the career ladder in the company
An Ohio teacher quit his job after six years to work at Walmart. In 2022, Seth Goshorn shared the update on TikTok. In the 6-second clip, Goshorn held up the blue Walmart uniform like an athlete proudly announcing his new job. After going viral, Goshorn was interviewed by “Good Morning America,” where he revealed that although he loved his teaching job, he switched careers for a higher salary.
Why Walmart?
In the video, Goshorn said he worked as a reading and second-grade teacher for six years, but ultimately decided to quit because he needed more money as he hoped to start a family with his fiancée in the future.
When discussing the inadequate pay for teachers, Goshorn said he had to work two jobs to make a decent income. “Think of how good our teachers could be if they could just focus on teaching and not have to work a second job on the weekends,” Goshorn said. So when he found a job at Walmart that paid much better than his teaching job, Goshorn grabbed it with both hands.
In addition to the higher salary, he also saw greater opportunities for advancement at Walmart. He said he didn’t need any more degrees, initials or letters to climb the career ladder at the company.
In addition, Goshorn explained that it is a misconception that teachers only work six or nine months of the year, adding that they often spend several extra hours outside of their classroom creating lesson plans, reviewing assignments, and more.
However, Goshorn made it clear that he does not want his fellow teachers to give up their jobs and follow his path. “That is not the case. I just want my teacher friends to be paid what they deserve,” he told the news agency.
He said he wanted to keep his teaching license and renew it every year.
How much does Gosham make at Walmart?
Goshorn shared that he works as a manager and second-grade coach at Walmart. He shared that he makes $55,000 a year before bonuses (in 2022), which is far more than his $43,000 teaching job at Plain Local Schools in Stark County, Ohio.
Walmart’s groundbreaking pay structure for managers
Earlier this year, Walmart announced that the company’s most successful managers could earn over $400,000 a year through additional bonuses. In a post on LinkedIn, Walmart’s US President and CEO John Furner announced that the company was offering its managers the opportunity to earn an additional $20,000 in the form of stock options.
The company also increased average compensation for managers from $117,000 to $128,000 per year. In addition, managers who met all of their performance goals could receive up to 200 percent of their salary as a bonus. So, according to CNBC’s calculations, a Walmart manager could essentially earn up to $404,000 per year.
