New salary law divides Romanian education: spectacular raises for bosses, crumbs for teachers

Romania's new unified salary law is sparking major controversy within the education system, with proposed significant pay increases for leadership positions contrasting sharply with smaller raises for teachers.

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The new unified salary law radically changes the payment system in Education and is already producing huge controversies, considering that rectors and school inspectors would receive spectacular increases, of up to 10,000 lei gross monthly.

The draft law, put forth by the Ministry of Labor, outlines a new system for calculating salaries across the public sector. For the education field, both pre-university and university levels are affected. The proposed reference value for 2027 is 4,100 lei, a substantial jump from the current 2,080 lei, though applied with different coefficients. This reform maintains the salary grade system and aims for a maximum salary ratio of 1 to 8 between the lowest and highest earners in public service.

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The project put forward for public debate by the Ministry of Labor provides that all salaries in the budgetary system will be calculated by multiplying a salary coefficient by a reference value established annually by the state budget law.

Simulations suggest that a starting teacher with higher education could earn approximately 7,958 lei gross (around 4,655 lei net) by 2027, representing an increase from current levels. However, the law's impact on leadership roles is far more dramatic. For instance, a university rector could see their gross monthly salary rise by up to 10,043 lei, reaching 22,500 lei. Similarly, a school inspector's gross salary could increase by 8,000 lei to 14,104 lei.

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According to simulations published so far, a beginner teacher with higher education would reach approximately 7,958 lei gross, meaning around 4,655 lei net from 2027, which would mean an increase compared to current levels.

These substantial increases for rectors and inspectors, described as "spectacular," have led to criticism that teachers are receiving only meager amounts in comparison. The law introduces salary grades based on experience, with increases for each level of seniority, except for public dignity, leadership, and high public official positions where seniority is already factored into the base salary.

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A school inspector would have from January (coefficient 3.44) a gross salary of 14,104 lei, compared to 6,136 lei currently (coefficient of 2.95 and reference amount of 2,080 lei).