Not all teachers can elect to get paid over 12 months! That decision is left to the board of education solely! The 10-month "working period" is far more than you'll ever imagine! Most teachers bring home hours of work, and work over the summer! So don't sell them short! In Cape May County, the average salary for a teacher is $50-60,000. Of that number, part of $28,000 is applied to benefits. The benefits package is included in that total salary. Not on top of the salary. Deduct the $28,000 from the $60,000 and you get $32,000! That's not considering dues, taxes, contributions, etc.