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What a teacher keeps in the Netherlands after tax, 2026
Dutch schools have been short of teachers for years, most acutely in secondary education and across the three biggest cities. The government has lifted the scales several times since 2022. What follows is what teachers earn and, more to the point, what they keep.
Teaching scales in 2026: gross against net
Four scales cover the profession. LA takes primary teaching and some basic secondary subjects, LB covers lower secondary and VMBO, LC handles upper secondary at HAVO and VWO level including the sciences, and LD is for senior leadership. Substantial rises came with the 2023 CAO VO, and the 2026 figures here include the adjustments made in 2025.
| Scale / Career Stage | Gross/Month | Gross/Year | Net/Month (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA - Starting (primary / VO basic) | €3,176 | €38,112 | €2,470/mo |
| LA - Mid-scale (~8 yrs) | €3,920 | €47,040 | €3,020/mo |
| LA - Maximum | €4,650 | €55,800 | €3,534/mo |
| LB - Starting (VMBO, secondary) | €3,480 | €41,760 | €2,695/mo |
| LB - Maximum | €5,050 | €60,600 | €3,780/mo |
| LC - Starting (HAVO/VWO, upper sec.) | €3,820 | €45,840 | €2,950/mo |
| LC - Maximum (senior secondary) | €5,860 | €70,320 | €4,275/mo |
| LD - School Director / Rector | €6,500-€9,000 | €78,000-€108,000 | €4,670-€5,930/mo |
Everything above assumes a full 1.0 FTE. Plenty of Dutch teachers work 0.8, meaning four days, because of how timetables and school hours fall, in which case multiply through by 0.8. Vakantiegeld, worth 8% of annual gross, lands in May and makes that one month considerably fatter than the rest.
What the shortage has done to pay
CBS put the national shortfall at somewhere between 4,000 and 7,000 full-time teaching posts across primary and secondary education in 2025. Amsterdam and Rotterdam feel it worst, with Amsterdam schools between them reporting more than 500 unfilled vacancies during 2024. The government's response has included:
- 2022 CAO PO: starting salary for primary teachers raised to €3,176/month (from ~€2,700 in 2021)
- 2023 CAO VO: secondary school salaries raised 8.25% collective, with LB/LC maximums increased
- Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Den Haag pay a voluntary city supplement of €200-€350/month gross for teachers working in these cities
- Side-entrance teaching (zijinstromers) granted with shortened training track to fill STEM vacancies
Dutch, French and British teachers compared
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands (LA starting): €3,176/month gross → €2,470/month net
- 🇫🇷 France (prof. certifié Échelon 1): ~€2,219/month gross → ~€1,742/month net
- 🇬🇧 UK (M1 England): £2,730/month gross → ~£2,190/month net (≈ €2,500)
- 🇩🇪 Germany (A12 Bayern Stufe 1): ~€3,750/month gross → ~€2,500/month net
At the beginning of a career the Dutch and German figures sit almost on top of each other. France is the outlier, with a newly qualified Dutch teacher netting nearly €700 a month more than a French counterpart. Against Britain the Netherlands starts marginally ahead, and by the top of the LC scale the gap has widened considerably.
Questions readers ask
What do teachers earn in the Netherlands after tax in 2026?
A starting primary or VO teacher on the LA scale earns €3,176 a month gross, roughly €2,470 a month net. An experienced secondary teacher at the LC scale maximum of €5,860 a month gross keeps roughly €4,275 a month. The 8% vakantiegeld adds one high-income month every May.
Is there a teacher shortage in the Netherlands?
There is, structurally. The Netherlands carries roughly 4,000 to 7,000 unfilled full-time teaching positions, concentrated in primary education and STEM secondary subjects. Amsterdam and the Randstad have the worst of it. The government has raised salaries substantially since 2022 and introduced an accelerated side-entrance track for career changers. Despite the improvements, the shortage is expected to persist into 2030 because the teaching population is ageing.
What is the difference between LA, LB, LC and LD scales in the Netherlands?
LA applies to primary school teachers in the basisschool and some VMBO basic subjects. LB covers VMBO and some lower HAVO years. LC covers upper secondary at HAVO and VWO level and requires a Masters-level wo qualification. LD is reserved for senior school leaders and management roles. Moving between scales means holding a different teaching qualification, the pabo for primary and a university-based lerarenopleiding for secondary.