The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) decodes teacher payslips in around forty countries in its latest report “Education at a Glance” (September 2021). So where do French professors stand in relation to their foreign colleagues?
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Especially in secondary school, especially after 15 years
The legal salary (excluding bonuses) of teachers in France is generally lower than the international average (OECD or European Union), especially at the beginning and in the middle of their career. French teachers start their careers at a level about 10% lower than their European counterparts.
In the first degree, this difference is not particularly noticeable: a school teacher starts his career with 31,800 euros gross per year, based on the European average at 32,000 euros and slightly below the 33,000 euros of the OECD average. On the other hand, a secondary school teacher in France starts at 34,800 euros, compared to an average of 36,000 euros in colleges and more than 37,000 euros on average in high schools abroad.
After 15 years of service, the gap widens and French teachers receive up to 20% less. “It’s an observation that’s been made for a decade,” notes Éric Charbonnier, an education analyst at the OECD. A school teacher receives 39,000 euros gross per year compared to an average of 43,000 euros in Europe. At secondary level, remuneration in France is around 42,000 euros, compared to 46,000 euros for foreign university teachers and 48,000 euros for university teachers.
Twice less than in Germany
The French salary scale is the same as that of Italian or Portuguese teachers. And if the salaries are higher than those of Poles, Greeks and Japanese, they are much lower than those of Spaniards, Americans or Australians.
German teachers have twice the legal salary of French teachers at every stage of their career. And this with a lower statutory annual working time: 720 hours in secondary education and 900 hours in primary education in France compared to around 600 hours in lower and upper secondary education in Germany and around 700 hours in primary education.