A teacher in preparatory classes for grandes écoles (CPGE) does not receive a unique and fixed salary. Their remuneration results from a stacking of distinct components: indexed salary, annualized additional hours (HSA), paid oral exams, and sometimes complementary missions related to the Teacher Pact. Understanding each of these components helps to grasp why two preparatory teachers from the same high school may have very different pay slips.
HSA, oral exams, and Teacher Pact: the components that make up remuneration in CPGE
The indexed salary forms the foundation. It depends on the body of affiliation (aggregated or higher chair) and the level reached. However, this foundation only represents part of the actual income.
In CPGE, the reference service can be reduced to 12 hours of effective teaching for an aggregated teacher. Each hour taught beyond this threshold is likely to be compensated in the form of HSA. These additional hours are annualized: they appear in the schedule and are paid monthly, unlike HSE which correspond to occasional interventions.
The oral exams (or “colles”) fall under a different mechanism. They are paid per session and not integrated into the statutory service. A teacher who conducts several slots of oral exams per week will see their remuneration increase significantly, but this part remains variable from year to year depending on the needs of the high school.
Since the start of the 2023 school year, the Teacher Pact offers a possible supplement. It compensates for voluntary missions (short-term replacements, support, guidance) through annual amounts distinct from the salary. The Pact is not an automatic component of the salary in CPGE: one must accept these additional missions to benefit from it.
To delve deeper into the career of a preparatory teacher on Former Ses Salariés, several of these mechanisms are detailed along with the applicable scales.
Level and grade: how the salary of an aggregated teacher progresses
Are you wondering why a teacher at the beginning of their career and another with twenty years of seniority do not have the same salary? The answer lies in two words: level and grade.
Advancement through levels is almost automatic. Each level corresponds to a higher index that determines the gross monthly salary. Progression occurs at a pace defined by the public service scales, with set durations for each level.
Normal class, higher class, and exceptional class
Beyond the levels, an aggregated teacher can access the higher class, then the exceptional class. These grade promotions lead to a change in the indexed scale that mechanically increases remuneration. The recent increase observed in the average salary statistics of teachers is partly explained by these advancements, and not solely by general revaluations.
The distinction between aggregated in normal class and aggregated in higher class is concrete on the pay slip. The transition to the higher class generally occurs after several years and depends on an inspection opinion, which directly links pedagogical evaluation to salary progression.
Actual working time in preparatory classes: a rarely quantified angle
The official service of 12 hours in front of students does not reflect the actual workload. Preparing courses in CPGE requires a level of content far superior to that of standard secondary education. Correcting papers from mock exams, designing original subjects, and providing individualized support for students significantly increase the workweek.
The ratio between declared hours and actual hours worked remains poorly documented in official statistics. This issue regularly fuels discussions among preparatory teachers, who believe that their effective workload far exceeds that suggested by their regulatory service obligation.
This imbalance has a direct consequence on the attractiveness of the position. When related to the number of hours actually invested, the effective hourly wage of a CPGE teacher diverges from the figure obtained by simply dividing the monthly salary by the 12 hours of service.
Agrégation and internal competitions: concrete levers for career advancement
The main lever for accessing a position in preparatory classes remains the agrégation. Certified teachers are rarely appointed to CPGE. The agrégation opens the door, but it is not enough: the appointment depends on the general inspection, which evaluates the academic and pedagogical profile of the candidate.
- The external agrégation is generally prepared during or after the ENS and is the main pathway for young teachers aiming for preparatory classes
- The internal agrégation allows experienced certified teachers to change bodies, thus changing salary scales, after several years of teaching
- Access to higher chairs represents the pinnacle of the teaching hierarchy in CPGE, with an indexed scale even more favorable than that of aggregated teachers in higher class
Beyond remuneration, some preparatory teachers shift to university research or inspection. These movements remain minority but exist, particularly for those who maintain a publication activity alongside their teaching.
Why some teachers leave preparatory classes
The pressure related to students’ results in the entrance exams for grandes écoles, combined with the workload, sometimes pushes experienced teachers to request a return to standard high school. The salary then decreases (fewer HSA, no oral exams), but the perceived comfort of work increases.
The salary scale in CPGE remains among the most advantageous in the National Education system. However, it is based on a tiered system where each component follows its own rules, from indexed salary to oral exams to the Pact. Knowing these mechanisms allows one to anticipate their progression and make informed choices at each stage of their teaching career.
