How are countries balancing teaching staff compensation with broader education investment?

Teaching staff compensation forms the largest component of education budgets, averaging 58% of expenditure in public primary and secondary educational institutions across OECD countries. This share has remained broadly stable over time and across levels, despite differences in educational structures and evolving demands. Yet, behind this overall picture lies significant variation: in some countries, teaching staff compensation exceeds 75% of total spending, while in others it is below 45%. Meanwhile, there are several countries where non-teaching staff account for over 30% of spending, raising questions about resource allocation and opening another important debate on the balance between instructional needs and administrative support. This diversity in spending patterns highlights the complexity of implementing broad salary reforms – especially given that a 10% increase in teaching staff compensation would cost around 0.19% of GDP on average across OECD countries. Such an increase represents a substantial investment for governments, with unclear benefits for job satisfaction, given that most teachers remain satisfied with their jobs despite widespread dissatisfaction with their salaries.