SSQ's first job right out of grad school was as an Asst. Prof. at Purdue. By January, he'd decided it wasn't for him, and the decision to move was compounded by the fact that it was late in Carter's presidency and the mortgage rates were so high that there was no way we were ever going to be able to buy a house without my having to get a job, which we didn't want cause I wanted to stay home with the kids. A friend was working in telecommunications in NJ, and convinced (didn't take much) SSQ to move over there so he could make some money. And you're right, it was almost DOUBLE the income!
He'd like to teach again, and may do so when he's retired from this company. We'll move to a place where he can work and have an adjunct position at a nearby college.
I'd love to teach at a college level. I love theory and I think I can explain things pretty well. But I'm looking to work for a very few years and then have a family, maybe work part time; so when I do work, I want the most bang for the buck.