In China, public school teachers generally receive salaries comparable to or slightly higher than those of civil servants.
According to various sources, public school teachers earn 120,000-200,000 CNY (17,000-28,000 USD) annually. Civil servants typically earn between 80,000-200,000 CNY.
Teacher basic salaries increase with teaching level and years of service. However, local governments can adjust these figures based on regional economic conditions, ensuring alignment with national standards.
Teachers receive additional special allowances if they are homeroom teachers, along with housing and regional allowances. The more expensive the area (such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen), the higher the regional allowance.
In Japan, teachers also receive salaries comparable to civil servants. The average annual salaries for elementary, junior high, and high school teachers are approximately 6,25 million, 6,4 million, and 6,8 million JPY (40,500-44,000 USD) respectively, according to the employment organization Kotora Journal. Meanwhile, the average annual salary for a civil servant is 6,5 million JPY.
Teachers are paid according to a scale based on rank and seniority. Basic salaries follow national or provincial pay scales. Additionally, they receive various allowances, the most common being an adjustment allowance, which is 4% of the monthly salary and is gradually increasing to 10% by 2031.
Other allowances include regional allowances, housing allowances, and dependency allowances.
 |
An English teacher in a classroom in Shandong province, China, in 2018. Photo: VCG/Sixthtone |
In South Korea, teachers have a starting salary of 2,3 million KRW per month, which is lower than that of civil servants (approximately 2,7 million KRW).
Basic salaries are set on a common scale, increasing with years of service. The education sector's increment is slightly higher than other sectors, meaning teachers must work for many years to earn salaries equal to or higher than other civil servants with similar seniority.
Beyond their basic salary, teachers receive allowances such as: attendance allowances (up to 50% of basic salary based on years of service), holiday bonuses, homeroom teacher allowances, and overtime allowances.
In the US, teachers earn an average of 65,000 USD annually, lower than workers with equivalent educational qualifications, according to the Economic Policy Institute. They also work 10 hours more per week than their similarly qualified counterparts.
Most states and districts use a "steps and lanes" basic pay scale, where "steps" denote years of experience and "lanes" indicate educational attainment. Teachers receive salary increases based on steps, typically reaching the highest level by age 55. Those with master's or doctoral degrees qualify for a higher "lane" on the pay scale.
Some areas provide additional pay or allowances for high-performing teachers or those taking on non-teaching duties, such as coaching sports clubs.
The UK also pays teachers 10% less than university-educated workers in other sectors, according to the School Teachers' Review Body.
The country uses two pay scales for teachers: the main pay range (MPR) and the upper pay range (UPR). London also uses these two systems but offers higher pay than other regions.
Generally, newly qualified teachers are paid on the MPR scale, from M1 (approximately 33,000 GBP per year) to M6 (45,000 GBP per year), equivalent to 43,000-59,000 USD. Salary increases are reviewed annually based on teaching performance.
High-performing teachers on the MPR scale can apply to move to the UPR scale, which has three levels from U1 (47,000 GBP per year) to U3 (51,000 GBP per year). Decisions for promotion to a higher pay level are also performance-based.
Teachers may receive additional allowances for teaching and learning responsibilities or for special educational needs.
According to a study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), primary and secondary school teacher salaries in 38 member countries are approximately 9% to 17% lower than those of university-educated workers.
The 2024 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) indicates that on average, only two out of five teachers are satisfied with their salaries. Low pay is also a common source of stress for teachers, according to a RAND research organization survey of nearly 1,500 teachers in the US this year.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that the global teacher attrition rate increased from 4,62% in 2015 to 9,06% in 2022.
Teacher shortages are common in the US, some European countries, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Khanh Linh (Compiled)
