if no leadership position must be GEO5.

7 years to get GEO5 is pretty fast but possible
7 years to get 8.5k base pay seems impossible, doesn't quite add up

5A, not into leadership appointment

So you're saying that as a Singaporean female, in 7 years after graduating from NIE at the age of 23, you reached GEO5A at age 30, with a base salary (excluding bonuses) of $8.5k.

Let me try and use my wildest, but most logical imagination.

2016 age 23 GEO2
2017 age 24 GEO3
2018 age 25 GEO3
2019 age 26 GEO4
2020 age 27 GEO4
2021 age 28 GEO5
2022 age 29 GEO5
2023 age 30 GEO5A

Is that your progression?

Assuming starting salary is around $3.5k for you, you're saying you had $5k worth of increments within 7 years?

That is a really on point analysis.

why does it seem that all the forummers in this MOE teacher thread consistently understate their salary? are they afraid of disclosing their true numbers for fear that this will generate backlash for what is conventionally thought as an "under appreciated but overworked profession"? Clearly MOE has revised and benchmarked appropriately salaries for teachers over the past 5 years and MOE teachers are definitely paid optimally today.

i have a couple of contacts, current MOE teachers ranging from 8 to 10 years in the ministry, and they each draw a salary of at least 10k base, not including their generous annual bonus, performance bonus, connect plan, etc.

Are you a scholar? It is unlikely for a 7 years teacher (30 years old) to be promoted to GEO5. I have colleagues who worked for 15 years and are not even GEO 5A.

Actual senario in school, base salary,

13 yrs, female, mid-career, GEO5A, 8.5k (increment 5 to 5A was only $200)
4 yrs, female, mid-career, GEO3, 6.1k
4 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO4, 5.3k
9 yrs, female, HOD, NUS grad, GEO5, about 7k plus (she said it's below 8k)

Those 8-10 yrs drawing 10k base is only a handful.

now this seems a lot more realistic lol

5k in 7 yrs haha obviously this is NOT achievable at all! Merit increment is only about $200 plus average annually and promotion increment is less than 10%.

thanks for sharing. surprised that a mid-career female with 4 yrs of exp is only at GEO3?