A teacher in preparatory classes for grandes écoles (CPGE) does not earn the same salary as a high school teacher, even if they sometimes belong to the same body of civil servants. The difference lies in overtime hours, allowances, and the type of class assigned. Understanding the remuneration of preparatory school teachers requires distinguishing three components: the indexed salary, the allowance portion, and the supplements related to actual service.
Indexed salary and allowance portion in CPGE: two remuneration logics
The indexed salary forms the foundation of the remuneration. It depends on the body of belonging (aggregated or higher chair) and the level reached on the scale. An aggregated teacher first progresses in the normal class, then moves to a higher class after several years of seniority and evaluation.
This base salary, however, reflects only a fraction of the payslip. In preparatory classes, the allowance portion plays a much larger role than in a regular high school. It notably includes additional hours per year (HSA), the volume of which fluctuates according to the subject taught and the size of the class.
A teacher who fulfills their entire service in CPGE generally accumulates several HSAs. Their monthly income is significantly increased as a result. But there is a downside to be aware of: only the indexed salary counts towards the calculation of the retirement pension. HSAs and allowances do not contribute to it, or only marginally. A comfortable net salary during active years can therefore lead to a more modest retirement than anticipated.
To consult the details of amounts by body and seniority, a dedicated file on the remuneration of preparatory school teachers provides complete scales.
Preparatory school teacher or researcher-teacher: competition for attractiveness
The CPGE teacher is often compared to the certified or aggregated high school teacher. The former earns more thanks to HSAs and a particular service regime. This observation remains valid, but it is no longer sufficient to describe the situation.
A report from the Senate published on September 7, 2026 (“Universities: Embracing Excellence”) highlights a deficit in the attractiveness of careers in higher education, especially in the Paris region. This diagnosis directly concerns preparatory classes: an experienced aggregated teacher may hesitate between staying in CPGE and joining the university as a lecturer or professor.
Decisions that go beyond the payslip
The university offers research, publication, laboratory management, and international mobility. CPGE, on the other hand, imposes a heavy workload (exams, papers, intensive preparation) but allows for a direct link with students’ success in competitive exams, which remains a powerful motivation driver.
The net salary gap between these two paths has narrowed. Recent increases in the university sector, combined with stagnant purchasing power in the public service, explain this convergence. A written question to the Senate, published on September 24, 2026, specifically alerted to the deterioration of the purchasing power of civil servants, including those in CPGE.
Levels, higher class, and higher chair: career progression in preparatory classes
How does a preparatory school teacher advance in their career? Three stages structure this progression:
- Normal class (aggregated): the teacher climbs the ranks over a variable duration. An accelerated pace is possible in the case of favorable evaluation by the inspection.
- Higher class: accessible after a certain number of years in the normal class, it provides a notable indexed salary increase and opens the way to the highest salary levels in the body.
- Higher chair: reserved for the best-evaluated CPGE teachers, it represents the peak of the scale. The number of positions remains limited, making it a selective promotion.
The transition from one stage to another depends on seniority, pedagogical evaluation, and the number of promotions available each year. Not all aggregated preparatory teachers reach the higher chair, far from it.
The case of the Normal Activity Position
Some CPGE teachers work in institutions that do not fall directly under the Ministry of National Education, for example, in BCPST programs linked to the Ministry of Agriculture. The Normal Activity Position (PNA) framework governs these situations, organizing the deployment of civil servants between ministries.
Real purchasing power of preparatory school teachers: beyond the scales
An indexed scale that progresses in nominal value does not guarantee any gain in purchasing power. When the index point stagnates or increases less quickly than inflation, real remuneration decreases even if the level advances.
This mechanism affects the entire public service. It hits CPGE teachers more visibly, whose gross salary, higher than the average teaching salary, gives the impression of a privileged status. However, a significant portion of this income comes from additional hours that increase the workload without securing retirement.
- The indexed salary serves as the basis for the pension, not HSAs or bonuses.
- Recent increases in the index point have not compensated for the cumulative erosion over the last decade.
- In the Paris region, the cost of living absorbs a significant part of the salary gap with a position in provincial high schools.
Progression to the higher class or higher chair remains a real remuneration lever for teachers committed to academic excellence and preparation for competitive exams. The overall attractiveness of the profession now depends as much on working conditions as on the payslip, a parameter that upcoming public service reforms will need to consider.
