🧠 Calquify Intelligence
Primary teacher salaries 39% below comparable HBO professions
A primary school teacher (LA scale maximum €53.000) earns 39% less than a medior software engineer (€62.000–€70.000) and 25% less than the average HBO-educated professional nationally. Both require a 4-year HBO qualification. This persistent pay gap is the primary driver of the 10.500 unfilled teacher vacancies in 2026 and is forcing emergency measures including class mergers and unqualified teaching assistants.
Source: DUO 2025 + CBS HBO wage comparison 2026
6,1% CAO increase is highest in 30 years — but still insufficient
The 2025–2026 CAO for primary and secondary education delivered a 6,1% salary increase — the largest in three decades. However, the teacher union AOb calculates that teachers need a further 10–15% increase to reach wage parity with comparable HBO professions. The government has committed an additional €1,5 billion for education wages through 2030 but implementation lags.
Source: AOb + Rijksoverheid onderwijsakkoord 2025
University and HBO lecturer salaries are competitive
Salaries diverge significantly across education levels. While primary teachers struggle at €36.500–€53.000, university senior lecturers (UHD) earn €70.000–€90.000 and full professors earn €90.000–€130.000. HBO lecturers average €65.000. The higher education salary scale is internationally competitive and experiences fewer recruitment difficulties than PO/VO.
Source: CAO HBO + VSNU UFO salary scales 2026
Teacher Salary by Education Level — Netherlands 2026
CAO PO/VO/MBO/HBO + VSNU
Primary Teacher Salary Progression — LA Scale
CAO PO 2026
📋 Reference Data
Teacher Salary by School Type and Scale — Netherlands 2026
CAO PO / CAO VO / CAO MBO / CAO HBO — full-time
| School Type | Scale / Function | Starting Gross/Year | Maximum Gross/Year | Avg Gross/Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary (PO) | LA — groepsleraar | €36.500 | €53.000 | €44.000 |
| Primary (PO) | LB — specialist | €40.000 | €58.000 | €48.000 |
| Secondary (VO) | LB — first-degree | €44.000 | €65.000 | €53.000 |
| Secondary (VO) | LC — subject lead | €48.000 | €72.000 | €59.000 |
| MBO (vocational) | Docent MBO | €46.000 | €70.000 | €55.000 |
| HBO (university of applied sciences) | Lecturer | €52.000 | €78.000 | €65.000 |
| University (WO) | UD (docent) | €50.000 | €75.000 | €62.000 |
| University (WO) | UHD (hoofddocent) | €65.000 | €92.000 | €78.000 |
| University (WO) | HGL (hoogleraar/prof.) | €90.000 | €130.000 | €105.000 |
ⓘ Full-time normjaartaak. Many teachers work part-time — actual income is proportionally lower. Step progression within scale is based on years of service (typically 10–20 steps over a career).
Primary Teacher Salary Step Progression — LA Scale 2026
CAO PO 2025–2026 — LA salarisschaal
| Step | Years of Service (approx) | Gross Monthly | Gross Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Start | €3.042 | €36.500 |
| Step 4 | ~3 years | €3.300 | €39.600 |
| Step 7 | ~6 years | €3.583 | €43.000 |
| Step 10 | ~9 years | €3.875 | €46.500 |
| Step 13 | ~12 years | €4.167 | €50.000 |
| Step 15 | Maximum | €4.417 | €53.000 |
ⓘ Step progression is annual in the early career and slows in later stages. LA scale (groepsleraar primair onderwijs) applies to the majority of primary school teachers.
Teacher vs Comparable HBO Profession — Salary Gap 2026
CBS + DUO + CAO benchmarks
| Profession | Qualification | Avg Gross Annual | vs Primary Teacher Max | Shortage Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer (medior) | HBO/WO | €62.000 | +17% | Critical |
| Nurse (HBO) | HBO | €39.500 | −25% | Critical |
| Primary Teacher (LA max) | HBO | €53.000 | Baseline | Critical |
| Secondary Teacher (LB avg) | WO | €53.000 | = | Critical |
| Social Worker | HBO | €41.000 | −23% | High |
| Accountant (junior) | HBO | €48.000 | −9% | Medium |
| National average (all HBO) | HBO | €58.000 | +9% | N/A |
ⓘ Primary teachers (LA scale max €53.000) earn below the national HBO average of €58.000. Both nurses and teachers face critical shortages despite below-average HBO sector salaries.
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Average Nurse Salary Netherlands 2026
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Average Software Engineer Salary NL 2026
Tech salaries are 17–47% above primary teacher maximum
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Average Salary Netherlands 2026
Primary teachers earn 18% below the national average at max scale
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Salary After Tax Netherlands 2026
Net take-home for teaching salaries across all school types
🔬 Methodology & Sources
Dutch Teacher Salary Framework (LA/LB/LC/LD Scales)
Dutch teacher salaries are structured around function scales (LA, LB, LC, LD) set by sector CAOs. Primary education uses LA (groepsleraar) and LB (specialist/intern begeleider). Secondary education uses LB (eerstegraads docent) and LC (vak-coördinator). Each scale has 12–20 pay steps with annual progression. The CAO is negotiated between school board federations (PO-Raad, VO-raad) and teacher unions (AOb, CNV Onderwijs).
Formula
Annual_salary = Scale_step_monthly × 12 + Holiday_allowance (8%) + Year_end_bonus (where applicable)
CitationCAO PO 2025–2026 Bijlage I Salarisschalen; CAO VO 2025–2026 Bijlage A; Rijksoverheid leraren salaris.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Primary school teachers (LA scale) earn €36.500–€53.000 gross per year depending on step. Secondary school teachers (LB scale) earn €44.000–€65.000. MBO teachers average €55.000, HBO lecturers €65.000, and university professors €90.000–€130.000. The 2025–2026 CAO delivered a 6,1% salary increase — the largest in 30 years.
At primary school level, no. Primary teachers at maximum scale (€53.000) earn 9% below the national HBO-educated professional average (€58.000) — despite requiring a 4-year HBO qualification. At university level, salaries are competitive internationally. The wage gap is the primary driver of the Netherlands' teacher shortage of 10.500 unfilled vacancies in 2026.
Secondary school (VO) teachers on the LB scale earn €44.000–€65.000 gross/year. LC-scale subject coordinators earn €48.000–€72.000. The average secondary teacher earns approximately €53.000–€59.000 depending on scale and step. Net take-home at €53.000 is approximately €3.060/month.
Yes — severely. There are approximately 10.500 unfilled teaching vacancies nationally in 2026. The shortage is most acute in primary education in the Randstad (Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague) and in STEM subjects in secondary education. The government has committed €1,5 billion extra for education wages through 2030 and implemented emergency measures including class mergers and deploying teaching assistants.
Yes. Like all Dutch employees, teachers receive the mandatory 8% vakantiegeld (holiday allowance) on top of their gross salary, paid annually in May. Some CAOs also include a year-end bonus (eindejaarsuitkering) of 6,3–8,3% of annual salary. Combined, these can add €3.000–€5.000 to annual gross income above the base salary scale.
Sources & References
Data sourced from official institutional publications. Results are for informational purposes only. Last reviewed Jan 2026.
Data Disclaimer
Teacher salaries are set by CAO PO (primary), CAO VO (secondary), CAO MBO, and CAO HBO collective agreements. Figures represent full-time (normjaartaak) gross annual salaries. Part-time teaching is common — actual income depends on appointment percentage.
Teacher salaries are set by CAO PO (primary), CAO VO (secondary), CAO MBO, and CAO HBO collective agreements. Figures represent full-time (normjaartaak) gross annual salaries. Part-time teaching is common — actual income depends on appointment percentage.