The table compares the salaries of secondary and high school teachers in five countries in 2009, including their starting salaries, earnings after 15 years, maximum salaries, and the number of years required to reach the highest level of pay.
Overall, teachers in Luxembourg received by far the highest salaries at every stage of their careers, whereas those in Australia earned the least. Another notable feature is that Denmark allowed teachers to reach the maximum salary much faster than the other countries, while Japan and Korea required more than three decades.
In terms of starting salaries, Luxembourg offered the highest figure, at $80,000, followed by Japan at $34,000 and Korea at $30,000. Australian and Danish teachers earned considerably less, with starting salaries of $28,000 and $45,000 respectively. After 15 years of experience, Luxembourg continued to lead by a wide margin, with salaries rising to $119,000. Japan ranked second at $65,000, ahead of Denmark ($54,000), Australia ($48,000), and Korea ($48,000).
A similar pattern can be seen in terms of maximum earnings. Teachers in Luxembourg could earn up to $132,000, substantially higher than those in Japan ($86,000), Korea ($62,000), Denmark ($54,000), and Australia ($48,000). However, the time needed to reach this level varied considerably. Danish teachers required only eight years to attain the maximum salary, compared with nine years in Australia. By contrast, teachers in Luxembourg, Korea, and Japan had to wait 30, 34, and 37 years respectively before reaching their highest pay.