International teacher salaries by country
What teachers actually reported earning at 571 international schools — not recruiter estimates, not job-advert ranges.
Every figure shows how many reports it rests on. Some are small. A median of three reports tells you something, but it is not the market rate, and we would rather show you the sample size than pretend otherwise.
How to read this
- Base pay is not the package. A Gulf posting with housing provided and no income tax can leave you thousands better off than a European one paying more on paper.
- These are gross figures. Normally base pay before tax and before allowances. Each country guide explains how that country taxes teaching income.
- Check the sample size. Countries with a handful of reports are included because the alternative is hiding them, not because the number is settled.
Median monthly pay, 47 countries
Highest first · USD figures approximate, rates as of 2026-07-16
| Country | Median / month | ≈ USD | Typical range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland6 schools | 7,445 CHF | $8,460 | 6,800–10,000 | 6 |
| Singapore13 schools | 8,282 SGD | $6,181 | 6,300–10,000 | 12 |
| Saudi Arabiaguide11 schools | 22,500 SAR | $6,000 | 17,000–23,000 | 6 |
| Hong Kongguide13 schools | 43,500 HKD | $5,577 | 35,318–57,000 | 10 |
| South Koreaguide14 schools | 5,000 USD | $5,000 | 4,693–5,000 | 8 |
| United States12 schools | 5,000 USD | $5,000 | 2,917–6,400 | 13 |
| Belgium6 schools | 4,584 EUR | $4,983 | 3,915–5,470 | 8 |
| Germany15 schools | 4,583 EUR | $4,982 | 4,167–5,100 | 17 |
| Oman5 schools | 1,771 OMR | $4,600 | 1,742–1,800 | 4low sample |
| Netherlands6 schools | 4,214 EUR | $4,580 | 3,950–6,422 | 7 |
| Chinaguide93 schools | 31,190 CNY | $4,362 | 28,000–37,000 | 67 |
| Jordan5 schools | 4,300 USD | $4,300 | 4,250–4,583 | 7 |
| Austria6 schools | 3,780 EUR | $4,109 | 3,300–4,833 | 12 |
| Brunei4 schools | 5,418 BND | $4,043 | 4,335–6,500 | 4low sample |
| Peru3 schools | 4,000 USD | $4,000 | 4,000–50,868 | 3low sample |
| United Kingdom9 schools | 3,092 GBP | $3,914 | 3,000–3,843 | 7 |
| Qatarguide12 schools | 14,150 QAR | $3,887 | 13,500–15,000 | 8 |
| Egypt10 schools | 2,940 GBP | $3,722 | 2,167–3,300 | 6 |
| France3 schools | 3,395 EUR | $3,690 | 3,247–3,542 | 4low sample |
| United Arab Emiratesguide38 schools | 13,500 AED | $3,678 | 12,000–15,500 | 35 |
| Uzbekistan5 schools | 3,600 USD | $3,600 | 3,333–4,600 | 7 |
| Bahrain8 schools | 1,334 BHD | $3,548 | 1,300–1,350 | 5 |
| Kuwait11 schools | 1,080 KWD | $3,518 | 900–1,250 | 9 |
| Cambodia6 schools | 3,500 USD | $3,500 | 3,236–3,554 | 7 |
| Portugal10 schools | 3,167 EUR | $3,442 | 2,917–3,500 | 13 |
| Vietnamguide33 schools | 3,345 USD | $3,345 | 3,000–3,700 | 26 |
| Myanmar6 schools | 3,271 USD | $3,271 | 3,200–3,500 | 8 |
| Malta2 schools | 3,000 EUR | $3,261 | 2,500–3,500 | 4low sample |
| Turkey10 schools | 3,200 USD | $3,200 | 2,583–4,050 | 10 |
| Georgia3 schools | 3,125 USD | $3,125 | 2,800–3,300 | 5 |
| Romania8 schools | 2,869 EUR | $3,118 | 2,383–3,333 | 8 |
| Thailandguide57 schools | 107,000 THB | $3,014 | 70,000–125,000 | 54 |
| Zambia2 schools | 3,000 USD | $3,000 | 3,000–4,503 | 3low sample |
| Russia7 schools | 2,750 EUR | $2,989 | 2,500–3,000 | 4low sample |
| Czechia5 schools | 68,000 CZK | $2,931 | 68,000–95,000 | 3low sample |
| Japan19 schools | 445,000 JPY | $2,928 | 390,000–500,000 | 20 |
| Taiwanguide14 schools | 92,000 TWD | $2,857 | 83,000–104,000 | 13 |
| Spainguide13 schools | 2,625 EUR | $2,853 | 2,167–4,000 | 14 |
| Mongolia5 schools | 2,800 USD | $2,800 | 2,800–2,800 | 4low sample |
| Mexico12 schools | 51,000 MXN | $2,757 | 34,000–60,000 | 11 |
| Poland6 schools | 10,500 PLN | $2,658 | 10,000–11,000 | 4low sample |
| Bulgaria3 schools | 2,500 USD | $2,500 | 2,500–2,800 | 3low sample |
| India8 schools | 2,500 USD | $2,500 | 1,900–5,000 | 10 |
| Cyprus2 schools | 2,250 EUR | $2,446 | 2,250–2,500 | 3low sample |
| Italy9 schools | 2,229 EUR | $2,423 | 2,000–2,917 | 14 |
| Malaysia18 schools | 10,500 MYR | $2,360 | 8,000–15,800 | 17 |
| Colombia5 schools | 4,953,737 COP | $1,208 | 4,907,474–5,000,000 | 4low sample |
Median is the middle reported salary, with the top and bottom 5% trimmed. Typical range is the 25th–75th percentile. Where teachers reported in more than one currency for a country, the most-reported currency is used and the others are not mixed in. USD figures are converted at rates from 2026-07-16 and are for comparison only — read the methodology.
Common questions
- How much do international school teachers earn?
- It depends far more on the country and the package than on the job title. Median reported pay on this site ranges from roughly USD 1,500 a month at the lower end to over USD 6,000 in parts of the Gulf and East Asia. Base salary alone is a poor guide: a lower headline figure with housing provided and no income tax often leaves you better off than a higher one without.
- Which country pays international teachers the most?
- On headline pay, the Gulf states and tier-1 China are usually highest. On money actually kept, the ranking shifts, because the Gulf packages tend to include housing and levy no income tax while high-paying European postings are taxed and rarely include housing. Sort by the USD column below for headline pay, then open a country guide to see what the package covers.
- Are these salaries before or after tax?
- They are the monthly figures teachers reported, which are normally gross base pay before tax and before allowances. Each country guide explains how that country taxes teaching income, since that gap matters more than most salary differences.
- Where does this data come from?
- Salary reports submitted by teachers who worked at these schools. It is not scraped from job adverts or recruiter guidance. Every figure below shows how many reports it is based on, so you can judge it. Some samples are small — a median of three reports is a signal, not a fact.
- Why is my country not listed?
- A country only appears once at least three teachers have reported a salary in the same currency there. Below that, a median is more misleading than useful. If your country is missing, adding your own report is what fixes it.