Physical education teachers in the United States earn $41,869 on a mean basis. The mean PE teacher salary in Canada amounts to C$70,940 ($56,270 USD). The pay for physical education teachers in the United Kingdom ranges from £16,250 ($21,161 USD) to £46,500 ($60,552 USD). The mean registers at AU$64,000 ($50,815 USD) in Australia, CHF65,278 ($68,317 USD) in Switzerland and NOK467,230 ($57,974 USD) in Norway.
PE Teacher Salary Influencers
The nature of the teaching profession, where physical education teachers are employed and experience influence the pay prospects of PE teachers.
1. Industry
As a general rule, physical education teachers may come from the ranks of general education teachers or those who specialize in physical education. As such, these teachers tend to be paid according to scales and schedules set for teachers in general. Thus, the size of the school unit and available funding, especially for public or state-funded, schools will influence the pay of PE teachers.
School authorities may set salaries on their own or in conjunction with union bargaining agreements. In Canada, nine out of every ten teachers belong to a union. Teacher unions in the United States also prevail in cities or states where public employees are permitted to unionize.
2. Geographical Area
PE Teacher Salary | Hourly Wage | Annual Wage |
---|---|---|
US | $20 | $41,869 |
Canada | C$34 | C$70,940 |
UK | £15 | £30,000 |
Australia | AU$31 | AU$64,000 |
Switzerland | CHF31 | CHF65,278 |
Norway | NOK225 | NOK467,230 |
PE Teacher Salary in the US
The mean pay is $41,869 for physical education teachers in the United States. Total earnings run from $28,495 to $63,159.
PE Teacher Salary in Canada
Physical and health education teachers in Canada earn a mean pay of C$70,940.
PE Teacher Salary in the UK
In the United Kingdom, salaries for physical education teachers start at £16,250 and climb to £46,500 per year.
PE Teacher Salary in Australia
As a general rule, physical education teachers in Australia earn between AU$1,368 and AU$1,886 per week. On an annual basis, pay runs from AU$71,158 and AU$98,084. According to PayScale, the mean salary is approximately AU$64,000.
PE Teacher Salary in Switzerland
In Switzerland, physical education teachers have a mean pay of CHF65,278.
PE Teacher Salary in Norway
The mean stands at NOK467,230 for physical education teachers in Norway.
3. Experience
For entry-level PE teachers in the United States, the median pay stands at $40,000. Those who accumulate five years of experience have a median pay of $43,000. At ten years, the median ascends to $50,000, then to $62,000 after 20 years on the job.
In Canada, the mean entry-level salary is C$57,742. Physical and health education teachers with eight or more years on the job have a mean pay of C$93,762.
PE teachers in the United Kingdom, as “unqualified” teachers (those who have yet to complete school-led or university training), garner from £16,250 to £30,000. These teachers are also classified as “starters” for experience purposes. Those who reach the “experienced” level make from £22,250 to £38,000. For “highly experienced” PE teachers, the pay climbs from £35,250 to £46,000.
In Australia, entry-level physical education teachers make five percent under the mean. Pay rises to eight percent above average for mid-career teachers and 16 percent north of mean for experienced ones. An OCED report, entitled Education at a Glance, states that teachers in Australia can reach the peak salary levels with only 8.3 years of experience.
At entry-level, PE teachers in Switzerland average CHF45,363. With at least eight years on the job, the mean rises to CHF76,720.
Norwegian physical education teachers fetch mean earnings of NOK328,923 at entry-level. Their average pay grows to NOK571,338 when they reach senior-level experience.
Working Hours
As a general rule, physical education teachers hold full-time positions. In Canada, nearly nine out of ten secondary school teachers are employed on a full-time basis. The typical work week for PE teachers in the United Kingdom lasts 39 hours.
Most hold daytime hours and report on weekdays. In the United Kingdom, physical education teachers work from 9 am to 3:30 pm as a general rule. Work hours in Australia generally run from 9 am to 3 pm. Practices, games and preparation of lessons may alter the start and finish times. PE teachers who also coach teams may also have weekend duties, especially during tournaments or other special competitions.
Bonuses & Benefit Packages
According to PayScale, PE teachers in the United States fetched bonuses ranging from $498.33 to $5,725. The bonuses average C$1,717 for physical and health education teachers in Canada.
In the United Kingdom, PE teachers can increase their pay between £2,640 and £12,898 by assuming additional responsibilities.
For physical education teachers in Australia, the mean bonus comes in at AU$2,250. Teachers in Switzerland earn bonuses of CHF1,456 on a mean basis. Those in Norway enjoy NOK10,887 per year in bonuses, on average.
Job Outlook
The number of school-aged children, especially where secondary schools teach physical education, will drive much of the demand for physical education teachers. Schools in urban areas and locations experiencing an influx of residential development could lead to overcrowded classrooms.
School authorities may seek to hire more physical education and other teachers to maintain low student-teacher ratios. Hiring prospects may result from the need of schools to meet standards such as minimum hours of physical education. In most countries, physical education constitutes a mandatory part of school curriculum at some level.
The resources of school authorities and budget priorities may temper somewhat the number of job openings, especially in physical education.
In the United States, employment of secondary teachers overall should grow by six percent, or 55,900 by 2024. This means 1,017,550 occupants in this field by 2024.
Canadian Business projects that, by 2022, there should be roughly one position as a kindergarten and elementary school teacher for every seeker. Job Bank Canada predicts that, by 2024, the country should have 44,000 secondary school teacher openings for 43,000 applicants.
A 2014 OCED Skills Strategy and Diagnostic Report lists teaching among the professions or skills projected to have an excess demand by 2030.
Conclusion
PE teachers normally are paid according to factors and circumstances that apply to teachers across the board. Pay prospects improve by accumulating experience and finding employment with large school systems. In some cases, unions can achieve higher salaries and benefits for the teachers they represent.
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