Yup, buddy of mine managed to get his masters and a teaching certification while working in retail. Got a job teaching at a junior highschool and then ended up quitting after only two years. He took an entry level corporate IT help desk job and started off making more than twice as much as teaching with easily half the stress.

I knew a bunch of people [who] were teachers, but left for tech jobs..

I know someone who taught near San Fran at some posh high-paying private school for tech princes because her 4yr 🇨🇦 degree got her an excellent post.

Then she left, but not for tech. She met a guy and moved back to Sweden with him. She's been teaching 5th grade for 22 years now, and is set to retire as a .SE resident on full pension. Him too. They're young and their kids will almost be out of secondary school. They intend to do a LOT of rail travel.

I don't know why US teachers stay on the job. There is demand and opportunity and safety in much better environments where they do pay almost acceptably for the job.