A recent study carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Economics of Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV IBRE) revealed a worrying reality for preschool teachers in Brazil. The data, collected in the second quarter of 2023 from the National Household Sample Survey (Pnad) of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), indicates that these professionals, along with others linked to the educational area, are facing significantly reduced salaries , even if they have a higher level of training.
The study, led by economist and researcher Janaína Feijó, focused on private sector workers who hold positions that require a degree. The research outlined an overview of the professions with the lowest and highest incomes throughout Brazil.
The Worst Salaries in Brazil
According to the research results, preschool teachers in Brazil have an average income of R$2,285 per month, which places them in the position of the lowest paid professionals with higher education in the country. Next, there are other professionals in the educational field, such as elementary school, arts and music teachers, with salaries of around R$2,554.
In addition to educators, other professionals with a prominent presence on the list of worst salaries include physicists, astronomers, social workers, librarians and speech therapists. This finding exposes the disparity between the commitment and importance of the functions performed by these professionals in the educational system and the remuneration they receive.
Better Paying Professions and Salary Enhancement
On the other hand, the research also highlighted the best-paid professions, where specialist doctors lead the ranking with salaries exceeding R$18,000. Mathematicians, geologists, mechanical engineers and software developers are also among the highest paid professionals in the country.
The analysis by FGV researcher Janaína Feijó also extended to the salary evolution of these professions over the last decade. The results indicated that, although the average income of teachers has experienced real growth during this period, the profession still remains poorly paid compared to other occupations.
Feijó highlighted that, despite efforts to establish salary floors, the remuneration of teachers and other professionals in the educational field is still considerably below the average for the best-paid professions. Meanwhile, medical specialists, even though they are the highest paid, have seen a 13% drop in their salaries in recent years.
A notable observation was the salary appreciation of web page and multimedia developers, who experienced a 91% increase in their average earnings over the last decade. The researcher pointed out that this increase is due to technological advances in society, as well as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which accelerated the need for more technological and innovative work tools in several areas.
