Are teachers in Europe well paid? What prospects for salary increases do they have as they progress in their career? Have teachers gained or lost purchasing power in recent years?

Teachers’ remuneration and career prospects are an intrinsic part of policies aiming to attract the best-qualified graduates and retain the best teachers. The report shows the composition and differences in teachers’ earnings among the Erasmus+ countries. It includes a comparative analysis and national data sheets with detailed information on the allowances and other additional payments that teachers and school heads receive.

The comparative overview examines the statutory salaries for beginning teachers, and the prospects for salary increases throughout their career. It also looks into salary differences across education levels, usually linked to different qualification requirements. On average, pre-primary teachers tend to earn less and upper secondary teachers usually earn more, although in some European countries, all schoolteachers receive the same salaries.

The report includes country sheets illustrating the data on salaries and allowances of teachers and school heads for each education system. Data have been collected jointly by the Eurydice and the OECD/NESLI networks.