Burnout is a feeling of exhaustion or a lack of energy that can seriously impact a professional’s role in performing their duties. Burnout can be either physical or mental/ emotional.
A rising number of teachers have cited burnout as a major factor in their decision to quit the profession. This report lays out the statistics related to the current teacher burnout crisis.
Teacher burnout statistics
- Between February 2020 – May 2022, it was estimated that over 300,000 public school teachers and other staff quit due to burnout
- 55% of female teachers have reported that they are burned out
- This is at a much higher rate than the 44% of male teachers who have reported they are burned out
- 35% of US educators regard their job as highly stressful
- Nearly 50% of K-12 teachers experience high levels of stress on a daily basis
- 61% of teachers reported experiencing job-related stress multiple days per week
- 64% of teachers reported feeling “emotionally and physically exhausted” at the end of every workday
- Over 30% of K-12 teachers are choosing the option of early retirement from teaching
- The percentage taking early retirement has increased by 55% over the past 30 years
- Up to 30% of new teachers are quitting their job within 5 years of teaching
- Teachers in the US are quitting at twice the rate teachers are quitting in other countries (8% vs 4%)
- 80% felt negativity or cynicism related to the teaching profession
- 59% said that they felt mentally distanced from their job
Teacher workload statistics
- 46% of teachers work more than 50 hours a week
- 38% work 40 to 45 hours a week
- 55% of the teachers intend to leave the profession due to excessive workload
- In 2023, 4 in 5 teachers (81%) claim that their workload has increased
- Teachers have reported as many as 27 hours of additional work without an increase in pay
- 34% of teachers reported feeling some feelings of anxiety around their work and managing students
- 57% of schools have admitted giving teachers more work due to unfilled positions
- 66% of teachers have voiced their concerns about the lack of substitute teachers in schools
| Number Of Hours | Percentage Of Teachers |
| 35 hours | 12% |
| 40 to 45 hours | 38% |
| More than 50 hours | 50% |
Teacher work-life balance statistics
- Only 8% of the teachers said that they have a social life and have time to enjoy
- 57% of the teachers reported that they do not have any social life or personal life
- 32% of teachers reported sleeping less than 6 hours a day
- 31% of teachers don’t sleep enough during the work week and catch up at the weekend
| Teachers And Their Social Life | Percentage Of Teachers |
| Go out regularly | 8% |
| Balance between work and home life | 35% |
| Little time for life | 57% |
Impact of burnout on the health of teachers
- 3 in every 4 teachers have reported physical health issues
- 37% of the teachers reported that they have regular headaches or stomach aches
- Almost 2 in 3 teachers show signs of burnout
| Physical problems from teachers | Percentage |
| Regular headaches or chest pains | 37% |
| No physical issues | 22% |
| Heart palpitations or chest pain | 16% |
| Dizziness | 15% |
| Shortness of breath | 10% |
Teacher burnout versus other professions
- There is a 24% burnout gap between K-12 and other industries on average
- Female teachers, in particular, are especially burned out. The burnout rate recorded for female teachers is 55%. On the contrary, the burnout rate of male teachers in the k-12 industry is reported to be 44%
- 55% of the teachers said that they are ready to leave the profession due to excessive burnout
| Industry | Female | Male |
| All industries | 34% | 26% |
| K-12 workers | 47% | 38% |
| K-12 teachers | 55% | 44% |