Any rational person looks at salary, healthcare, retirement contributions, paid time off and job security. Each one is real compensation. Just because the federal government chooses to ignore healthcare for tax purposes is irrelevant. That's actually key reason why our health system is so inefficient (3rd-party payer).

I guarantee every employer wishes they could pretend that they could ignore healthcare & retirement cost. They can't because they are real costs that they have to pay to employees to get the labor they need.

I'm very familiar with teacher benefits. My mother has taught in Utah's public school systems for 20 years.