Teacher Pay Market-Conform, Directors Lag 28% Behind Private Sector

A confidential Flemish government report, kept under wraps for a year by Education Minister Zuhal Demir, has shattered the long-held assumption that teachers are underpaid. The 90-page study, commissioned from HR firm Hudson and obtained by Het Laatste Nieuws, found that the average Flemish teacher receives a market-conform total compensation package. However, the same report reveals a stark problem at the leadership level: school directors, particularly in secondary education, are underpaid by 24 to 28 percent compared to their private-sector counterparts.

The Secret Report That Could Reshape the Debate

Minister Demir commissioned the Hudson study in 2024 to determine whether salary levels were contributing to Flanders’ persistent teacher shortage, which saw over 3,700 full-time positions unfilled as of August 2025, according to VRT NWS. The report was delivered in June 2025 but marked confidential — shared only with education networks and unions behind closed doors. Demir told HLN she wanted to wait until after negotiations on a new career pact before making it public.

“The report has been with Education Minister Zuhal Demir for a year, but received the ‘confidential’ stamp. HLN’s research desk was able to review it anyway and read surprising results,” investigative journalist Jeroen Bossaert wrote.

Teachers: Better Compensated Than Commonly Believed

The Hudson study compared total compensation packages — not just base salaries — accounting for everything from bonuses and company cars in the private sector to fixed appointments, extra vacation days, and pension benefits in education.

Starting teachers fare well. A beginner teacher earns €290 to €1,163 more per month than the average starter with a bachelor’s degree in the private sector, where the average gross monthly salary is approximately €2,799 according to Jobat’s Salariskompas.

Master’s degree teachers in secondary education are above market. This group’s total compensation sits roughly 11 percent above the market-conform zone. Their starting salary approaches €4,000 gross per month, rising to nearly €5,800 after 15 years and approximately €7,000 after 30 years.

Prof. Kristof De Witte, education economist at KU Leuven, told Business AM that this is justified: “People with a university degree are in demand on the labor market and are difficult to retain in education. We know that from previous studies. So there is something to be said for paying those people better.”

The Compensation Trade-Offs

The report reveals a careful balancing act. Teachers lack meal vouchers, company cars, and performance bonuses — but these are offset by:

• Fixed appointment (vaste benoeming): Valued at 5 percent of total package for job security
• Extra vacation: 29 more days per year than private-sector workers
• Pension advantage: Civil servant pension valued at 6.5 percent higher, though this was calculated before recent pension reforms
• Higher base salary: Compensates for the lack of extra-legal benefits

“The idea that a job as a teacher is underpaid is strongly held. But that idea is shattered by this report,” De Witte said.

The Director Problem: A 28% Gap

While teachers received reassuring news, the picture for school directors is dramatically different. The report found that secondary school directors face a compensation gap of 24 to 28 percent below comparable management roles in the private sector. Primary school directors with a master’s degree are approximately 11 percent below market, and only primary school directors with a bachelor’s degree are paid at market-conform levels.

Starting director salaries range from €4,700 to €5,500 gross per month without experience. After 15 years as a teacher followed by a transition to director, the figures reach €6,042 (primary) to €7,581 (secondary) gross monthly. After 30 years as a director, the range is €7,218 (primary) to €9,153 (secondary).

Private-sector managers, by contrast, can supplement their base salaries with bonuses and company cars — options unavailable in education.

“That directors are paid so far below market is problematic,” De Witte warned. “Research shows that leadership plays a major role in how a school performs.” He argues there must be at least a 35 percent difference from teacher salaries to attract sufficiently capable candidates.

Implications for the Career Pact

The leak of the confidential report has injected new urgency into the ongoing career pact negotiations. Minister Demir acknowledged the findings: “The results show that the total salary package of many functions in our education is in many cases market-conform and attractive. At the same time, I am not blind to the points of attention. These include starting teachers and school directors.”

Prof. De Witte suggests the report could shift the debate from salaries to work organization in secondary education, particularly for master’s-level teachers who are paid above market. The report also raises questions about how the recent federal pension reform — which may reduce the 6.5 percent pension advantage — could affect the overall picture.

What to Watch For

As Flanders grapples with a persistent teacher shortage and difficult negotiations over a new career pact, the Hudson report provides evidence-based ammunition for all sides. The key question now is whether the government will address the director pay gap — a problem that, if left unsolved, risks undermining school leadership quality at a time when strong leadership has never been more critical.