Career as Teacher

Hello all, thank you for sharing insights into the compensation of MOE teachers. Am an aspiring teacher here but after reading all the threads, I am certainly thinking twice. Could I request some insights on the following:

What is the ceiling salary that a mediocre/average teacher is expected to attain in his/her career? Assuming non-HOD but maybe at max a Level Head or something.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hello all, thank you for sharing insights into the compensation of MOE teachers. Am an aspiring teacher here but after reading all the threads, I am certainly thinking twice. Could I request some insights on the following:

What is the ceiling salary that a mediocre/average teacher is expected to attain in his/her career? Assuming non-HOD but maybe at max a Level Head or something.

At current salary ranges, a Level Head will max out at just over 10k. An average teacher, assuming he/she does not hit GEO5A but stays at GEO5, will max out a little over 8k. The ceilings are likely to increase in the future; you will experience several service-wide salary adjustments during your career. Whether they will keep proper pace with inflation remains to be seen

The problem is: the salary ceiling takes FOREVER to reach. You will have to stand the test of time in your early years drawing very low salaries compared to your senior colleagues, who may well be doing a lot less work than you. If you can live and climb through this phase and stay long enough to reach the higher salary points, you'll be fine.

Hi, may I know when do they usually give the OCA payout?Same time as Dec pay or later? Thank you.

Hi there, slightly unrelated but i'm midway through my BSc programme in NIE. Am wondering what the pay difference is between 1st/2nd upper and the next tier. Not that I intend to skive but Was just curious to know. (Might give me a bit of motivation to push on harder. HAHA)

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi there, slightly unrelated but i'm midway through my BSc programme in NIE. Am wondering what the pay difference is between 1st/2nd upper and the next tier. Not that I intend to skive but Was just curious to know. (Might give me a bit of motivation to push on harder. HAHA)

No difference in salary between first and second upper.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi there, slightly unrelated but i'm midway through my BSc programme in NIE. Am wondering what the pay difference is between 1st/2nd upper and the next tier. Not that I intend to skive but Was just curious to know. (Might give me a bit of motivation to push on harder. HAHA)

At most, $200-$300 difference between that and next tier depending on gender / NS. Might affect CEP, though decent performance in first few years would even things out.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

At current salary ranges, a Level Head will max out at just over 10k. An average teacher, assuming he/she does not hit GEO5A but stays at GEO5, will max out a little over 8k. The ceilings are likely to increase in the future; you will experience several service-wide salary adjustments during your career. Whether they will keep proper pace with inflation remains to be seen

The problem is: the salary ceiling takes FOREVER to reach. You will have to stand the test of time in your early years drawing very low salaries compared to your senior colleagues, who may well be doing a lot less work than you. If you can live and climb through this phase and stay long enough to reach the higher salary points, you'll be fine.

More rosy if you consider bonuses (MY, EOY, PB). GEO5 could max out at $10k+ gross (incl. bonuses averaged across 12 months. Not to forget salary revisions at least once a decade.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

More rosy if you consider bonuses (MY, EOY, PB). GEO5 could max out at $10k+ gross (incl. bonuses averaged across 12 months. Not to forget salary revisions at least once a decade.

Thanks for sharing. How many years would it typically take for an average teacher to reach GEO5 and max out at the pay ceiling as you have quoted?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Thanks for sharing. How many years would it typically take for an average teacher to reach GEO5 and max out at the pay ceiling as you have quoted?

In the past (pre-2015) it would take around 10 years of service for the average teacher because it was possible for graduates to hit GEO1A3 (GEO5 equivalent) within 5-6 years.

Today, it's hard to say. Promotions have slowed down dramatically and merit increments have also been shaved thin. A good number of average performing ~10 YOE teachers who joined in the early 2010s are still stuck at GEO4 and still have a long way to go before they can smell the ceiling. Even those who were newly promoted to GEO5 are still sitting around the high 6k to low 7k region, with some way to go before they reach the ceiling (increments get smaller the closer you are to the ceiling, too). tl;dr an estimate for the average teacher will be around 15 years.

A middle manager (such as a SH/LH/HOD) will take a shorter time as they will be likely be promoted faster. The merit increments at the SEO grades are also much higher. Depending on how early the officer is appointed to a management position, they may also take between 10-15 years to hit the ceiling if they sit on that appointment and do not chase further advancement (such as school leadership, or management positions in HQ).

Any advice from the more experienced ones on how we can manage the stress level and workload? BT here.