Teachers' salaries in Bulgaria are the lowest in the European Union, according to a report which compares the salaries of public-sector teachers and school heads in 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey.

The data, based on the 2009/10 school year, covers pre-primary to upper secondary education.

The report, compiled by the European Commission's Eurydice network, is published in the occasion of World Teachers' Day (5 October).

In almost all European countries, gross basic salaries for teachers entering the profession are lower than national GDP per capita – and their pay will not even double over the course of their working lifetime, except in a handful of Member States, according to the EC report, which points out that the best paid teachers in the European Union are in Luxembourg, Denmark and Austria, while the least well-paid are in Bulgaria and Romania.

The report shows that at the beginning of their careers, teachers' gross basic salaries are lower than national GDP per capita in all countries with the exception of Germany, Spain and Portugal. Bulgaria is at the bottom here as well, while even in neighboring Romania, teachers have better perspectives since there it is possible for teachers to double their basic salaries in the course of their career.

Teachers can use bonuses for qualifications improvement and years of service. In Denmark, teachers make EUR 61 804 a year, in Finland – EUR 44 775, in the UK – EUR 35 580, in troubled neighboring Greece – EUR 22 817, compared to Bulgaria with EUR 4 271.

Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia are the three countries where there is no difference in minimum teachers' wages based on eduction or the type of school where they work.

According to report, which uses data of the Bulgarian National Statistics Institute, NSI, pay for teachers in the country is increasing on a regular basis - between 7% and 13% in 2010 for head teachers, compared to 2009.

In 2008-2009, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and Greece were the only countries which failed to adjust teachers wages to the inflation.

According to the report, in Bulgaria a beginning teacher makes BGN 5 796 a year while those with 10+ years of service – BGN 6 192. Principals make between BGN 7 080 a year and BGN 12 960, depending of their years of service and the size of the school.

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