An Ohio man has gone viral after quitting his nearly six-year job as a teacher to become a manager at the local Walmart, where he will make more money.
Seth Goshorn, 28, posted a brief TikTok on July 18 in which he held up a Walmart vest like a pro athlete would hold up a new jersey, while wearing a blue polo shirt with the Walmart logo tucked in gray pants.
The text overlaid on the video read, “Quit apprenticeship after six years to become a manager at Walmart and earn more without using my degree,” and the caption read, “It’s not even close.”
The video has since been viewed more than 822,000 times, and people are now turning to him for career advice.
Goshorn had worked as a second grade teacher in education for five and a half years, having previously worked as a reading teacher in a lower-paid school district.
Last year, he told Good Morning America, he made $43,000 while working in Stark County, Ohio.
But as a stocking coach at Walmart in Massillon, Ohio, Goshorn will make $55,000 a year — before bonuses.
Seth Goshorn, 28, has gone viral after posting a TikTok of himself holding up his new Walmart uniform and saying he’s quitting apprenticeship to become a manager at the retail giant, where he’ll make more money would
Goshorn said he made the decision to switch career paths because he hopes to eventually start a family with his fiancée and believes Walmart would be better off providing him with the money he needs to do so.
When asked about the decision, he cited the big box chain’s compensation, saying: “It was a lot better than I think people are used to and what people would expect.”
He also said he sees more growth opportunities at Walmart, stating, “You don’t have to do another degree or more initials or letters before your name to move up.”
At Charles L Warstler Elementary School, he told Good Morning America, he had to work overtime to make less money.
In addition to teaching the second grade, grading all of his students’ assignments and creating lesson plans, Goshorn coached two athletic teams for the school district and worked on summer school meetings.
“I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from becoming a teacher – it’s one of the noblest professions to pursue,” Goshorn said, although he added, “Think about how good our teachers could be if they just put their mind to it.” would teach and not have a second job at the weekend.
“They chose to be teachers because they’re passionate about it,” he said. “They didn’t choose to have a second job that came with it and I would have gladly looked the other way.”
Still, he told WJW, “I’m going to be a lifelong teacher — that [will] Always be a part of my life, whether at Walmart or on social media.”
As a stocking coach at Walmart in Massillon, Ohio, Goshorn makes $55,000 a year before bonuses. He said he hopes to use the money to start a family with his fiancée
Goshorn had worked as a second grade teacher in education for five and a half years, having previously worked as a reading teacher in a lower-paid school district. Last year he made $43,000 in Stark County, Ohio
Goshorn’s decision to accept a position at Walmart comes months after the company announced it was looking to strengthen its management.
In May, the retail giant announced it was launching a new careers program aimed at giving young college graduates in-store experience and the opportunity to earn a six-figure salary.
As part of the College2Career program, associates are matched with branch managers, and at the end, high performers are offered a newly created leadership position as an “emerging coach”—with a starting salary of $65,000.
According to Walmart, it can take an average of up to 10 years for an employee to advance from a staff trainer role to a store manager.
But with College2Career, “we aim to have aspiring coaches become store managers within two years,” the company said, noting that the average salary for Walmart store managers nationwide in 2021 was $210,000.