Comparison Of QT Employees, OK Teacher Pay Sparks Debate

Monday, January 16th 2017, 6:06 pm

By: Emory Bryan

The pay of Oklahoma school teachers compared to employees at QuikTrip is causing a buzz online.

It can take a teacher, with a degree, 11 years to reach QuikTrip's starting salary for full-time employees with just a high school diploma.

Let's say a teacher with a decade of experience came to work at Eugene Field Elementary, they would make $38,000, including benefits. Or, they could, with no degree and no experience, go down the street and make more at QuikTrip.

QuikTrip started in Tulsa but is now an industry leader nationwide. They did it, in part, by recognizing the value of paying good wages, according to spokesman Mike Thornbrugh.

"Our pay scale and benefits and opportunity are way above anyone we compete against," he said.

Our comparison of salary for QuikTrip and public schools generated some shock at the disparity - some people said it wasn't fair since teachers have more days off.

Thornbrugh said their experience is that high wages means QT has no trouble hiring.

"There's no question that you get the pick of employees, you get longer tenure and people tend to stick around and not just for salary, but for the philosophy of the company and what the possibilities you can do," he said.

Here's an example of company climate - hundreds of employees were off for the MLK parade then bused to company headquarters for lunch with their families. Free medical benefits extend to those same family members. And, if they wanted, anyone could stop by the new help desk for anything electronic - it's another perk of the job.

There are so many perks that employee Jeremiah Vann couldn’t remember them all.

"We're offered a match on our investments, and we're offered and given stock in the company," he said.

Vann started an entry-level job three years ago, but, with regular raises and promotions he's now at QuikTrip for a career.

"It allows us to have higher expectations and it becomes a cycle that benefits the community we serve because everybody knows if you come into QuikTrip you're going to be taken care of," Vann said.

The discussion continues online on Facebook and Twitter, with both teachers and QuikTrip employees offering perspective on the salary and the working conditions. The pay scale for teachers is there too and a lot of people are comparing their salary.