The remuneration of teachers in preparatory classes for grandes écoles (CPGE) regularly fuels debates, especially when it comes to prestigious institutions like Louis-le-Grand. Understanding what a prep teacher actually earns in this Parisian high school requires breaking down the mechanisms of the payslip: indexed salary, specific allowances, overtime, and grade. Without this detailed reading, the amounts reported in the press remain difficult to interpret.
Value of the index point and gross salary in 2026
The base salary of any public teacher is based on a simple calculation: the increased index multiplied by the value of the index point. Since July 2023, this value has been set at 4.92278 euros. It has not been revalued since, which means that the base gross salary evolves only through the advancement of step or grade.
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An aggregated teacher at the beginning of their career (normal class, step 1) receives a gross salary significantly lower than that of an aggregated teacher at the end of the hors-classe or in the exceptional class. The gap between these two extremes can represent several thousand euros in gross monthly salary. It is this grade variable that makes any simplistic comparison between “prep teachers” misleading.
To better understand the salary of Louis-le-Grand prep teachers, one must add to the base salary the specific indemnities related to teaching in CPGE, which weigh heavily in the final remuneration.
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CPGE allowance and overtime: the real levers of remuneration
Teachers in preparatory classes benefit from a special functions allowance paid monthly. This bonus is conditioned on the hourly volume: one must teach at least 4 hours in front of the same group or 8 hours in front of several groups to qualify. This condition is almost never mentioned in general articles, even though it explains why some CPGE teachers do not receive this allowance.
Annual additional hours (HSA) constitute another major lever. A prep teacher who exceeds their regulatory service obligation can accumulate several HSAs, the unit value of which is itself indexed to the grade and step.
Teacher Pact and mission bonuses
The Teacher Pact system has added an additional layer to remuneration. The complementary missions accepted within this framework (short-term replacements, support, educational projects) generate flat-rate bonuses. A prep teacher at Louis-le-Grand who accumulates CPGE allowance, HSA, and Pact missions sees their actual remuneration significantly diverge from the indexed salary alone.
Total remuneration depends more on actual service than on the place of employment. An hors-classe aggregated teacher at Louis-le-Grand and an hors-classe aggregated teacher in a provincial prep, with identical service, theoretically receive the same amount. The prestige of the high school does not create a specific bonus.
Salary grid for aggregated teachers in CPGE: comparison by grade
The table below summarizes the main levels of gross monthly remuneration for an aggregated teacher teaching in CPGE, excluding additional hours and Pact bonuses. The amounts are calculated based on the index point at 4.92278 euros.
| Grade | Career Position | Gross Monthly Salary (approximate) | With CPGE Allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Class | Beginning of Career | About 2,100 – 2,400 euros | Higher by a few hundred euros |
| Normal Class | Mid-Career | About 2,800 – 3,300 euros | Same, increased by the monthly allowance |
| Hors-classe | End of Career | Significantly higher | Can exceed 4,000 euros gross |
| Exceptional Class | Last Step | Highest in the aggregated grid | Highest overall remuneration in the body |
These ranges remain approximate figures. Comparing a young aggregated teacher to an experienced hors-classe teacher is misleading if the grade and seniority are not specified.
Prep teachers at Louis-le-Grand: why the 8,000 euros is debated
In 2013, the principal of Louis-le-Grand, Michel Bouchaud, publicly stated that “few are the teachers whose salaries exceed 8,000 euros per month.” This phrase, often taken out of context, referred to extreme cases combining:
- A high grade (hors-classe or exceptional class), corresponding to several decades of seniority and an increased index at the top of the grid
- A significant volume of annual additional hours, mechanically better paid for high grades
- Paid ancillary activities (tutoring in other institutions, competition juries, publications), which do not fall under salary stricto sensu
The amount of 8,000 euros gross monthly does not therefore reflect the current situation. The majority of CPGE teachers are well below this threshold. However, it illustrates the theoretical ceiling that can be reached at the end of a career with a maximum accumulation of hours and responsibilities.
What the 2013 decree nearly changed
The draft decree on the service obligations of teachers, put forward in late 2013 by the Ministry of National Education, triggered an unprecedented mobilization among the approximately 8,000 prep teachers. The text destabilized their remuneration system by wanting to harmonize the calculation methods with the entire secondary education system. The proposed income reductions were deemed severe by those concerned.
This crisis highlighted the legal fragility of the existing system. According to Michel Bouchaud, the current rule for prep teachers already led to numerous disputes, with regular appeals in court.
Actual remuneration of prep teachers: what the grids do not say
The place of employment does not directly influence the statutory salary. Teaching at Louis-le-Grand rather than in a prep in Clermont-Ferrand does not generate any increase related to prestige. The only geographical variable is the residence allowance, slightly higher in Île-de-France, but common to all civil servants in the area.
What truly distinguishes remuneration profiles is the combination of grade, seniority, volume of additional hours, and participation in the Teacher Pact. A normal class aggregated teacher at the beginning of their career at Louis-le-Grand earns less than an hors-classe aggregated teacher in a medium-sized high school in the provinces, all other things being equal.
The sometimes spectacular amounts associated with Louis-le-Grand in the press can be explained by a selection bias: the teachers who work there are often very experienced aggregated teachers, at the top of their grid, with a heavy workload. It is the profile of the teacher, not the address of the high school, that determines the remuneration.