Are nuns teaching in Catholic schools in the USA given wages and benefits similar to what teachers receive in public schools?

First, many priests and nuns have actual jobs with actual salaries from whomever it is that is employing them. Say a nun that works as a nurse in a hospital will be paid by the hospital a salary similar to any other non-nun nurse in that hospital. That salary, though, normally doesn't go to their pockets. It goes to their congregation (the Jesuits, the Franciscans, whatever). Their congregation, in turn, pays for all their expenses (rent, meals) and often gives them a "discretionary budget" for them to buy all those minor little things that are too much of a pain to ask for (toothpaste, movie tickets, etc).

In many cases, they live in a house owned by the congregation, so there is no rent or meals to pay. Cars are normally owned by the congregation so there are no car payments and they get money for gas. All these expenses are covered no matter what the actual job situation is. A member that works a highly paid job gets his expenses paid the same as some other that cleans the garden at their house. Ditto for retirement. The expenses are just covered no matter how much you contribute or have contributed to the congregation.