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International Schools Salary Scale

Teacher pay is based on years of experience (steps) and education (lanes) 

By Mansour Baker, SHRM-CP

Posted 01 April 2017     |     ​Revised 10 January 2020

Student Learning and Development

How to promote excellence in teaching and learning?

Creativity focused instruction

• Teaching focused on 21st century skills, emphasis on creativity and innovation

Open classroom

• Student-centered open classroom design to support "learning by doing"

Learning beyond classroom

• Focus on life and career skills
• Students to participate in gap semester

Personalized learning

• Tailored instruction
• Teaching pace and content adapted to students' levels

Advanced use of technology

• Technology fully integrated in teaching and learning

Formative assessment

• Check for understanding along the way, not only summative assessment
• Continuous feedback to and development of student

Network with top schools

• Offer students exchange programs and joint projects
• Facilitate teacher collaboration and exchange

​Teaching and learning will focus on key skills, with emphasis on creativity and innovation.

Work creatively tools

• Students develop projects in groups
• Students exposed to real cases, where innovative ideas are needed

Implement innovations

• Have creativity labs where students can implement ideas
• Organize design projects, competitions

Thinking creatively

• Students and teachers to have free time to 'think'
• Students to develop own solutions

Exhibit 1: 

Set of assessments to help student's develop

Top Performance Teachers

​Top performance teachers share nine (9) similar capabilities within four (4) domains.

Professional Knowledge Domain

• Knows students and how each student learns 
• Knows the content and how to develop the curriculum 

Professional Practice Domain

• Plans classes and implements effective teaching and learning
• Creates and maintains supportive and safe learning environments
• Assesses, provides feedback and reports on student learning

Professional Engagement Domain

• Continually builds and stays up to date with own knowledge of content 
• Engages professionally with colleagues, parents and the community

Ethical Responsibility Domain

• Is respected by individuals within and outside school 
• Presents a professional and well-respected image of herself / himself

​​International Schools Pay Approach

The compensation philosophy adopted by a school should reinforce the vision and mission. The below are examples of common areas of a compensation philosophy:

1. Pay for the value of jobs in the relevant markets in which schools compete for teachers;
2. Ensure proper positioning against the relevant market; and
3. Enable and support opportunities for learning and growth development to ensure teachers are attracted and most importantly retained.

​​Steps & Lanes Salary Scale

Most international schools salary scales are based on years of experience (steps) and education (bachelor & master's degree). Each step increment is based on experience. Some schools have capped newly hired teachers and recognize previous teaching experience.

The “steps and lanes” salary scale is a common way of determining teacher pay. The below is an example of a school salary scale (annual base pay) with 10 steps on the left side and 2 lanes across the top. Each step represents a year of service (seniority) at the school. The lanes represent increasing levels of education in the form of degrees (bachelor’s or master’s). A teacher’s salary is determined by locating the appropriate cell, years of experience and level of education.

Exhibit 2: 

Sample teacher pay scale for an international school

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