A preparatory class teacher (CPGE) belongs to the corps of agrégés or, more rarely, to the corps of higher chairs. Their remuneration is based on a salary index calculated from their grade, to which allowances and overtime are added. Understanding this mechanism allows one to gauge what the salary of a preparatory teacher truly represents, beyond the preconceived notions about a profession often seen as privileged within the national education system.
Salary index of agrégé teachers: the foundation of remuneration in CPGE
The base salary of a teacher in CPGE depends on a simple calculation: the increased index corresponding to their grade, multiplied by the value of the public service index point. No revaluation of the index point has been announced recently.
This freeze on the index point directly impacts real salary progression. During the salary meeting on July 8, 2026, the government confirmed the absence of any new increase before the end of the term. For a CPGE teacher whose career spans several decades, the freeze on the index point erodes purchasing power year after year.
Grade advancement remains automatic, based on seniority. An accelerated passage is possible depending on the evaluation of professional value during inspections. But even with rapid advancement, the stagnation of the index point limits real gains. In 2023, state public service teachers earned an average of 3,138 euros net per month, compared to 4,052 euros for other category A civil servants, according to the DGAFP cited by SNALC.
To delve deeper into the pay scales and career prospects specific to this profession, the data compiled on the Former Ses Salariés website detail the grades and additional remuneration associated with each rank.
Allowances and overtime: what distinguishes the salary in preparatory classes
The salary index represents only a part of the payslip. Several supplements are added, and this is often where the gap lies between an agrégé assigned to a traditional high school and an agrégé working in CPGE.
- The ISOE (indemnity for student monitoring and guidance), paid to all secondary school teachers, constitutes a fixed part independent of the hourly volume.
- Annualized overtime hours (HSA) represent a significant financial lever in preparatory classes, where service obligations differ from those of high schools. An agrégé teacher in CPGE must teach between 8 and 10 hours weekly depending on the field and the number of students, which mechanically generates HSAs as soon as the schedule exceeds this threshold.
- Oral examinations (colles), paid by the hour, constitute a regular supplement specific to preparatory classes.
- Bonuses related to specific missions (coordination, tutoring, competition jury) can be added occasionally.
The accumulation of these supplements explains why a mid-career CPGE teacher earns significantly more than a certified teacher working in a middle school. Overtime and colles can represent several hundred euros monthly in addition to the base salary.
Loss of purchasing power for teachers: the salary context in 2026
The debate on the remuneration of preparatory teachers cannot be limited to the salary index. The macroeconomic context profoundly alters the interpretation of these figures.
In June 2026, the gross salary of a newly appointed agrégé teacher represented about 1.2 times the minimum wage, compared to more than twice in 1980, according to the 2026 back-to-school report from SNALC. This ratio illustrates a structural disconnect. The salary attractiveness at the beginning of a career in CPGE has significantly decreased over forty years.
The revaluation in September 2023 did raise the minimum for all teachers, including trainees and contract workers. However, it has not been sufficient to bridge the gap with other category A civil servants, let alone with the private sector for profiles with a master’s degree plus 5 to 8 years of experience.
Consequences on recruitment in preparatory classes
The pool of candidates for the agrégation is shrinking in several disciplines. Fewer candidates means a risk of tension on positions in CPGE, where only agrégés (and teachers of higher chairs) can be appointed. This phenomenon particularly affects scientific subjects and modern languages, where job opportunities in companies offer higher starting salaries.
Career progression in CPGE: grades, hors-classe, and higher chairs
An agrégé teacher progresses through three successive grades: the normal class, hors-classe, and then the exceptional class. Each grade advancement opens a new salary index scale with a higher ceiling.
Access to hors-classe depends on seniority and the inspection’s opinion. The exceptional class remains selective and concerns teachers at the end of their careers who have held specific positions or reached a certain grade in hors-classe.
The corps of higher chairs
At the top of the teaching hierarchy in CPGE, the corps of higher chairs offers a salary index scale higher than that of agrégés hors-classe. Access is through the submission of a candidacy file. Positions are rare and concentrated on teachers who have demonstrated recognized disciplinary and pedagogical expertise over several years in preparatory classes.
Appointment to CPGE itself is not a grade: it is an assignment. An agrégé teacher appointed to preparatory classes retains their original corps and can be transferred to a high school. The Normal Activity Position (PNA), used notably for agricultural CPGE teachers, functions differently from a classic detachment since career management remains attached to the original ministry.
The salary path of a CPGE teacher is therefore built on two parallel axes: automatic advancement in the salary index and the accumulation of overtime related to the position. It is the combination of both that produces the salary gap with other secondary teachers, and not just the prestige of the assignment.
