Education and Skills

Where do teachers earn the most?

Joe Myers
Writer, Forum Stories

The answer is Luxembourg. This small European country is where teachers can expect to earn the highest wages, according to OECD research.

The 2013 data, from the OECD’s new report, Education at a Glance 2015, highlights average earnings for teachers in OECD countries across a number of variables, including teaching level and length of time in the profession. For the purposes of comparison, the following chart assesses average salary in US dollars for teachers with 10 years’ experience, who work in public institutions at the lower secondary level.

1511B68- teachers salarys Luxembourg Germany

Teachers at this level in Luxembourg earn an average of nearly $100,000 a year, over a third more than German teachers, who take second place with just under $66,000. The top three is completed by Canada, where teachers take home $63,557.

European nations feature across the list, with the Netherlands (fifth), Ireland (seventh) and Norway (10th) all in the top 10. Australia, the US and Canada are the only non-European nations to appear.

The figures highlight the disparity in salaries around the world, with a difference in excess of $50,000 between first and 10th positions.

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Author: Joe Myers is a Digital Content Producer at Formative Content.

Image: Teacher Kennis Wong (L) points to Chinese characters on the board at Broadway Elementary School in Venice, Los Angeles, California, April 11, 2011. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson 

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