00:00As a new school year begins and pupils return to classrooms,
00:03which EU countries pay their teachers the most?
00:10It's back to school time again and teachers and their unions are reigniting the debate
00:15over stagnant wages and recurring staff shortages. The salaries of school staff and in particular
00:22teachers and school heads make up the largest single cost in formal education, according to
00:28the OECD. In the 2024-2025 school year, Luxembourg was the EU country that paid teachers the most
00:35across most education levels for both those at the beginning and at the peak of their careers.
00:41This is according to Eurydice, the European Commission-funded education information network.
00:46The Netherlands and Germany came in second place depending on the education level the teacher
00:51works at and what stage of their career they are in. On the other hand, Slovakia, Czechia and Hungary
00:57were the EU countries that paid teachers the least at the top of their careers, while Greece and
01:02Slovakia paid teachers the least at the start of their careers. It takes teachers in 11 EU countries
01:09between 31 and 40 years to reach the top of their career, depending on the education level,
01:15while teachers in just two member states need up to 10 working years, depending on the education level.
01:21Teachers in Cyprus, Portugal and the Netherlands will see the biggest salary jump between the start
01:27and the peak of their careers.
