Teacher vs Personal grocery store shopper

[jesmu84]

https://www.barstoolsports.com/barstoolu/florida-teacher-quit-his-job-and-is-now-making-double-his-salary-for-being-a-professional-grocery-shopper

Everyone can talk all they want about free market, yada, yada, yada. How is it possible that we're societally structured so as to incentivize personal grocery shopping above teaching? Seems our priorities are slightly out of whack, but I fully admit to maybe being completely wrong and missing something in the situation.

[UWW2MU]

This came across to me as a one-off type situation.   In the full stories I've read, it seems he really had a a knack for building relationships with his customers that allowed him to build a large and reliable customer base.  In addition that, he also seems to really enjoy the job.  Plus, how many people are willing to work 60-80 hrs a week, 7 days a week, all year long?   

The app/service he works through advertises "up to" $22/hr.  Unless someone is willing to work extremely hard, I don't see many being able to copy his success.   Thus, I don't really see society in general incentivizing anyone to be a professional grocery shopper over a teacher.

[Babybluejeans]

Florida is a cesspool of scum. One upshot of climate change is that the ocean will eventually, gratefully, rise to claim it.

[NWarsh]

This came across to me as a one-off type situation.   In the full stories I've read, it seems he really had a a knack for building relationships with his customers that allowed him to build a large and reliable customer base.  In addition that, he also seems to really enjoy the job.  Plus, how many people are willing to work 60-80 hrs a week, 7 days a week, all year long?   

The app/service he works through advertises "up to" $22/hr.  Unless someone is willing to work extremely hard, I don't see many being able to copy his success.   Thus, I don't really see society in general incentivizing anyone to be a professional grocery shopper over a teacher.

+1000  The same can be said for a lot of these gig economy type jobs.  Yes you have some minority making 6 figures, but those people have found a sweet spot and are really working a ton to make it happen.  The vast majority are not making what you would be making working a normal full employment job.  They are great as supplemental income, but really hard to raise a family on.

[mu03eng]

It's a combination of skill sets and an emerging market that result in a one off more so then a paradigm change. This is really a reflection of the commoditization of teaching as well as the value premiums we put on our time these days.

[TheGym]

This is no different than the professional basketball player making $10M/year and the pediatrician making $170K/year.  The pediatrician is providing a much more important service to society (in my opinion), but is paid substantially less.  Where is the outrage on that discrepancy?

[jesmu84]

This is no different than the professional basketball player making $10M/year and the pediatrician making $170K/year.  The pediatrician is providing a much more important service to society (in my opinion), but is paid substantially less.  Where is the outrage on that discrepancy?

I can't speak for everyone, but I've mentioned this before.

[jesmu84]

This came across to me as a one-off type situation.   In the full stories I've read, it seems he really had a a knack for building relationships with his customers that allowed him to build a large and reliable customer base.  In addition that, he also seems to really enjoy the job.  Plus, how many people are willing to work 60-80 hrs a week, 7 days a week, all year long?   

The app/service he works through advertises "up to" $22/hr.  Unless someone is willing to work extremely hard, I don't see many being able to copy his success.   Thus, I don't really see society in general incentivizing anyone to be a professional grocery shopper over a teacher.

Fair.

Per the article, he works 50-60 hours.

Further, no matter how hard he worked as a teacher, or how good he was, he wasn't making the same kind of money.

There are definitely teachers who have to get 2nd jobs (not even on the holidays or summer break) to make ends meet for a family. Just seems crazy to me that the those in the profession should need that.

[tower912]

The principal at my son's Catholic elementary school is an Uber driver.

[mu03eng]

Fair.

Per the article, he works 50-60 hours.

Further, no matter how hard he worked as a teacher, or how good he was, he wasn't making the same kind of money.

There are definitely teachers who have to get 2nd jobs (not even on the holidays or summer break) to make ends meet for a family. Just seems crazy to me that the those in the profession should need that.

One could argue that because of collective barginning teachers have done this to themselves.....I wouldn't necessarily make that argument but it's not invalid.

[Benny B]

I can't speak for everyone, but I've mentioned this before.

When's the last time you watched an NBA game?

[JWags85]

Its essentially a sales job.  His large and loyal customer base that he's built allows him to work as much as he does.  I'm not wading into the teacher pay aspect of it, but it really is apples to oranges.

Also, depending on the hours he worked as a teacher, and how much time off he had in the summer, his hourly earnings might not be that drastically different.

[warriorchick]

Its essentially a sales job.  His large and loyal customer base that he's built allows him to work as much as he does.  I'm not wading into the teacher pay aspect of it, but it really is apples to oranges.

Also, depending on the hours he worked as a teacher, and how much time off he had in the summer, his hourly earnings might not be that drastically different.

And I doubt he gets a pension with his current gig, either.

[MUEng92]

Florida is a cesspool of scum. One upshot of climate change is that the ocean will eventually, gratefully, rise to claim it.

I wish I would have seen this yesterday when I could have shown it to my coworker who is literally moving to Florida today.

[PBRme]

Most professions pay range are on some sort of bell curve.  It's deceiving to cherry pick one person 5 Std Dev to the high side of one profession against another professions avg.

[mu03eng]

And I doubt he gets a pension with his current gig, either.

Also no PTO or sick days.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

So is this guy working for people who pay him a fee for his service or for the grocery store that has the online ordering?

[reinko]

So is this guy working for people who pay him a fee for his service or for the grocery store that has the online ordering?

According to his t-shirt, he works for Shipt, similar to a service I use from time to time, Instacart.

http://vator.tv/news/2016-08-02-how-does-instacart-make-money