- Torrey Grant commutes eight hours each week for a teaching job at Syracuse University.
- That job is in addition to his account executive role at a PR agency where he works full time.
- The share of supercommutes in the 10 largest US cities has grown from four years ago.
Torrey Grant said his roughly eight-hour weekly commute for his part-time gig is worth the time because he enjoys the job and it supplements his income.
In June 2022, Grant and his wife moved from Syracuse, New York to New York City so they could be closer to her family. Grant landed a Manhattan-based account executive role at a public relations agency that specializes in the food, wine, and spirits industries. He was also able to retain his part-time gig of more than five years: teaching a wine and beer appreciation course at Syracuse University, his alma mater.
During typical weeks when school is in session, he wakes up at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesdays in his Manhattan residence, drives roughly four hours to Syracuse, and is at his desk by 9 a.m. During the day, he works remotely for his public relations job. He then teaches two courses in the evening, stays overnight at a hotel, works remotely for his PR job the next day, teaches two more classes in the evening, and then drives home Wednesday evening.
“It’s well worth it to keep a great job and it keeps my wife and I close to her family,” said Grant, 50, when referring to his teaching position.
Grant is among the supercommuters who are defined by traveling more than 75 miles to work. The share of supercommutes in the 10 largest US cities was 32% greater between November 2023 and February 2024 than between the same time period four years prior, per a study from Stanford University that was published in June.
The researchers said this increase was likely driven by the uptick in remote working arrangements. For example, some Americans who moved away from their offices — in part for lower housing costs — decided they could stomach a long commute when their employers rolled out return-to-office policies after the pandemic.
Driving several hours is worth it for the job and pay
Grant said he earns between $80,000 and $100,000 annually from teaching, depending on the number of courses he teaches — which can vary based on student interest, among other factors. Grant estimated that he dedicates about 30 hours a week to his teaching job, which includes 12 hours of lecturing and additional time spent in meetings, conducting office hours, preparing for classes, and grading.
Grant said that his round-trip commuting costs typically include between $40 and $50 for a full tank of gas, roughly $80 for one night at a hotel, about $25 in tolls, and $36 to park at the school — a total of about $200 per round-trip.
Before he committed to driving as his preferred mode of transportation, Grant said he tried taking the train and flying. However, he said the train can take up to six hours if there are delays, and that flying — which can also come with delays — typically doesn’t save any time.
Looking ahead, Grant said he plans to keep supercommuting for the foreseeable future. He said the biggest downside of the commute is that he has to be away from his wife two days a week. However, he said he enjoys teaching and that working with students helps him stay up to date on what’s popular with younger wine and beer consumers — which can also give him a leg up at his public relations job. He said he’s considered looking for teaching jobs closer to home, but only a few schools offer similar courses.
Ultimately, he said the teaching job’s pay — and the limited travel costs — are what’s made his commute sustainable. In the future, he said the job could bring about another financial benefit: discounted college tuition for his children.
“Financially it still makes sense,” he said of the commute. “I’d love to say I would do it even if it wasn’t but that’s not realistic.”
Do you have a long commute to work? Are you willing to share your story with a reporter? Reach out to jzinkula@businessinsider.com.
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