The starting salary for German primary school teachers works out at €50,357, compared to €46,066 in Luxembourg.
These figures are on a Purchasing Power Standard (PPS) basis, which means they have been adjusted for the cost of living. On an unadjusted basis, Luxembourg primary teachers’ starting salaries are actually higher, at €69,076, compared to €54,129 in Germany.
The picture is similar for secondary school teachers, with the upper secondary starting salary (PPS) in Germany standing at €58,541, compared to €52,208 in Luxembourg.
Again, on an unadjusted basis Luxembourg’s starting salary is higher at €78,286, compared to €62,296 in Germany.
The data are published in the 2022 Eurydice report, compiled by the EU’s European Educative and Culture Executive Agency. It defines starting salaries as the statutory salaries of full-time, fully qualified beginning teachers in 2020/21.
The figures contrast with OECD data, which finds that Luxembourg’s teachers are the highest paid in Europe. This discrepancy is partly explained by pay growth, with Luxembourg’s teachers enjoying a whopping average pay increase of 74% after 30 years. In Germany, the equivalent figure is just 32%.
Statutory starting salary (in euros, PPS), for select countries:
At the other end of the table for starting salaries are Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Starting salaries in these eight EU member states are all below €20,000, even after adjusting for the cost of living.
In contrast, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland. All these countries offer a minimum starting salary of €30,000, again on a PPS basis.
The report finds that, in general, higher starting salaries are related to differences in minimum entry requirements. For instance, Luxembourg and a handful of other countries require pre-primary and primary teachers to have at least a bachelor’s degree, while secondary teachers need a master’s degree.
This is not always true though. In Poland, the vast majority of teachers hold at least a master’s degree, even though this is only a requirement for upper secondary. Yet there is no pay premium for their higher level of education.
The report finds, perhaps unsurprisingly, that higher salaries are strongly correlated with the level of wealth in different countries. However, these differences are lessened after adjusting for the cost of living.
The report also looks at remuneration for school principals. Here the picture is rather different for Luxembourg compared to other European nations, because at pre-primary and primary level there are no school heads.
Instead, the president of the school committee is responsible for its management and maintaining relations with the commune and parents. School teachers’ work is organised through regional directorates.
At upper secondary level, salaries for head teachers vary between a minimum €72,170 and maximum €99,809 in Luxembourg (in PPS terms). Equivalent figures were not available for Germany.
Nevertheless, head teacher pay in the Grand Duchy is competitive. In neighbouring France, for instance, the range is €42,403 to €64,242 (PPS).
