Portuguese teachers' salaries exceed the average for university graduates

Even though the average salary of public-sector teachers in Portugal is higher than that of other workers who have a university degree, this being an exception compared to most countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the level of satisfaction among Portugal's teaching workforce with regard to working conditions and pay is considerably below the international average.

By Íris Marçal, in News · 30 Sep 2026, 17:03 · 0 Comments

As stated in the Education at a Glance 2026 report referred to in the press, satisfaction with working conditions in Portugal is 39.1 per cent (as against 68.4 per cent in the OECD), while satisfaction with salary is only 13.4 per cent (compared with 38.7 per cent for the global figure).

The report points out that, while starting salaries for teachers in the OECD increased by 18 to 20 per cent in real terms between 2015 and 2025, the real income of new teachers in Portugal fell by 10 per cent.

The teaching profession is still mostly composed of women, since women make up 99 per cent of the teachers in national pre-primary education—a sector in which salaries are in fact 35 per cent above the average for other university graduates.

As for qualifications in general, the study shows that 33% of working-age adults in Portugal have a higher education degree, this figure still being below the 40% average found among OECD countries.

With regard to young people who are not in education or employment (the "NEET" group), the national rate dropped to 15%, thus getting nearer to the international average of 13%. Youth unemployment among those who have a higher education qualification declined from 13% in 2015 to 6% in 2025, and in 2023, 42% of Portuguese graduates were working remotely on a regular or frequent basis.

The report also points out the attractiveness of Portuguese higher education for international students: foreigners entering the country make up 13% of the total, mainly coming from Brazil (28%), Guinea-Bissau (11%) and Angola (11%), a figure that exceeds the OECD average, while the proportion of Portuguese students going abroad to study is 4%, the main destinations being the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Spain.