12/09/2025
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Teachers' salaries vary significantly around the world. New data published in the OECD Education at a Glance report shows that salaries in Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are at the higher end of the spectrum, with primary school teachers in public institutions earning on average over $90,000 per year. Poland is among the countries found towards the other end of the spectrum, with teachers earning around $55,407 per year. These calculations are based on the average actual salaries of 25 to 64 year old teachers in public schools and were converted to U.S. dollars using purchasing power parities for private consumption.
Of the 34 OECD countries that provided data on average teacher salaries, the average annual salary came out at $57,399 in 2024. The United States performed above this mark, with primary school teachers earning an annual salary of $68,153. In the United Kingdom, teachers in England had a lower than average salary at $54,550 while Scotland’s figure was $62,584.
These figures hide the differences that exist within countries. OECD analysts explain that teachers may enter the profession with different levels of qualifications and differ in their years of accrued experience, with a higher level often linked to a higher salary band. In Colombia, a maximum statutory salary in 2024 was $119,850. This is a salary at the top end of the scale for teachers who have the maximum number of qualifications. By contrast, the minimum statutory salary in Colombia was $26,862. This figure reflects starting salaries for teachers with the minimum number of required qualifications. In the U.S., the maximum was $85,827, while the minimum was $49,386. In England, $97,930 was the top level and $41,468 the minimum.
Teachers’ salaries also typically increase with the level of education that they are teaching. According to the report, the figures are lowest for pre-primary school at an OECD average of $55,725, rising to $59,673 at primary school level, $61,563 at lower secondary school and $63,925 at upper secondary school.
