Ranked: Teacher Salaries Around the World
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Key Takeaways
- Top teacher salaries exceed $170K in some countries, with starting pay near $100K.
- Germany and Switzerland also offer six-figure peak salaries, far above most OECD countries.
- In lower-paying countries, starting salaries can fall below $30K with limited long-term growth.
In some countries, teaching is a six-figure career. In others, salaries remain far lower even after decades of experience.
This chart compares statutory salaries for upper secondary teachers across OECD countries, using PPP-adjusted 2022 dollars. Data comes from the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2025 report.
To put this in perspective, the highest-paid teachers earn more than double the OECD average top salary of about $76,000, highlighting how wide the global pay gap can be.
Where Teacher Pay Reaches Six Figures
Luxembourg stands far ahead, with starting salaries near $100,000 and top pay reaching over $170,000.
Germany and Switzerland also offer six-figure peak salaries, but still trail Luxembourg by a wide margin. This gap shows how much outliers can skew global comparisons.
| Country | Starting Salary | After 15 Years | Top of Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
 Luxembourg |
$99,621 | $137,418 | $173,165 |
 Germany |
$90,567 | $107,491 | $122,251 |
 Switzerland |
$90,469 | — | $137,378 |
 Mexico |
$61,856 | $75,953 | $75,953 |
 Norway |
$61,833 | $69,446 | $77,382 |
 Austria |
$61,742 | $83,166 | $126,691 |
 Spain |
$61,074 | $70,856 | $87,304 |
 Türkiye |
$59,766 | $67,091 | $77,396 |
 Denmark |
$59,762 | $77,664 | $77,664 |
 Netherlands |
$58,805 | $102,711 | $121,026 |
 Australia |
$57,477 | $81,842 | $92,959 |
 United States |
$52,893 | $76,442 | $83,410 |
 Sweden |
$51,479 | $58,755 | $67,678 |
 Scotland |
$51,285 | $64,368 | $64,368 |
 Canada |
$50,077 | $87,285 | $87,299 |
 Finland |
$48,930 | $61,685 | $65,386 |
 Iceland |
$48,176 | $61,204 | $61,204 |
 OECD Average |
$47,339 | $63,925 | $76,535 |
 France |
$47,220 | $53,086 | $74,214 |
 Ireland |
$43,344 | $70,865 | $81,631 |
 New Zealand |
$41,726 | $67,121 | $67,121 |
| England |
$41,468 | $63,995 | $63,995 |
 Portugal |
$41,321 | $52,740 | $87,367 |
 Italy |
$40,947 | $50,917 | $63,432 |
 Lithuania |
$39,107 | $44,970 | $51,172 |
 S. Korea |
$37,773 | $65,765 | $104,786 |
 Slovenia |
$36,597 | $56,323 | $67,365 |
 Japan |
$34,863 | $54,168 | $68,276 |
 Colombia |
$31,723 | $57,853 | $57,853 |
 Israel |
$31,176 | $44,444 | $63,367 |
 Chile |
$30,977 | $46,525 | $57,433 |
 Hungary |
$30,692 | $34,949 | $42,039 |
 Poland |
$28,712 | $41,355 | $43,101 |
 Czechia |
$27,348 | $30,359 | $35,962 |
 Costa Rica |
$26,678 | $33,673 | $40,668 |
 Brazil |
$24,526 | — | — |
 Slovakia |
$23,371 | $26,913 | $30,102 |
 Greece |
$23,363 | $30,627 | $45,153 |
 Dataset Average |
$47,265 | $63,165 | $76,219 |
Mid-Tier Countries Show Strong Growth Potential
While starting pay is moderate in countries like Canada and the Netherlands, long-term earnings can rise significantly. In Canada, salaries increase from roughly $50K to over $87K, one of the largest jumps in the dataset.
The Netherlands also shows one of the steepest pay progressions in the dataset.
Where Teacher Pay Falls Furthest Behind
At the lower end of the scale, starting salaries in countries like Slovakia, Greece, and Brazil can fall below $30K. Even at peak levels, earnings often remain below the OECD average, highlighting major disparities in how education systems compensate teachers.
In some countries, salaries increase very little over time, limiting long-term earnings. This can contribute to teacher shortages, lower retention, and differences in education quality.
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