Teachers' Salaries After September 1: Who Received a Raise and What Factors Determine It

Effective September 1, 2026, a new compensation system went into effect for some teaching and research-teaching staff, marking the second phase of salary increases for educators. At the same time, the new rules do not apply equally to all institutions: for some, the transition is mandatory, while for others it depends on the decision of the founding body and the source of funding.

What Has Changed in Educators’ Pay Since September 1

In 2026, the pay increase for teaching and research-teaching staff is taking place in two phases. Effective January 1, a government resolution raised base salaries by 40%. At the same time, the Ministry of Education and Science describes the first phase as an increase of approximately 30%, since the new raise replaced previous salary increase mechanisms. As of September 1, the government implemented the second phase, which the Ministry of Education and Science defines as a further 20% increase. Overall, the Ministry of Education and Science estimates a 50% increase in 2026 compared to 2025.

As of September 1, the very principle for determining salaries for institutions transitioning to the new system has also changed. Instead of calculating based on pay grades in the Unified Pay Scale, salaries are now determined by a coefficient established for the respective position. This coefficient is multiplied by a base amount of 28,885 hryvnias.

Therefore, the stated 20% is not a separate allowance that is simply added to the total salary. For those transitioning to the new system, base salaries are determined according to a new formula, which provides for an increase of 20% or more.

Not all provisions of the new system took effect at the same time. In particular, the new hourly rates for teaching classes, approved by the resolution, will apply only starting January 1, 2027.

Who Has Transitioned to the New System, and for Whom It Depends on the Founding Entity

The new compensation terms introduced on September 1 were not implemented for all educational institutions using the same procedure. For some of them, the transition is mandatory; for others, it depends on the founding body and the capacity of the local budget.

The transition to the new system is mandatory for state-funded vocational, pre-higher, and higher education institutions, inclusive resource centers, as well as general secondary education institutions whose teachers’ salaries are funded, in particular, through an educational subsidy. In such cases, a separate community decision regarding the transition itself is not required.

A separate note should be made regarding institutions funded from local budgets. For municipal kindergartens, institutions of extracurricular, vocational, and pre-higher professional education, as well as general secondary education institutions funded exclusively from the local budget, the government has recommended implementing the new system starting September 1, but the final decision must be made by the founding authority. This may be the relevant local council or an education management body authorized by it.

However, the director of such an institution cannot independently decide to switch to the new salary structure if this requires additional funding. The founding authority must allocate funding in the local budget and make the necessary changes to the budget estimate.

If a preschool or after-school program is part of a school, the new pay conditions apply to all teaching staff at the institution, even if their salaries are funded from different sources. Similarly, in public institutions of vocational and pre-higher education, an educational subsidy covering the salaries of some instructors does not mean that only they will transition to the new system. The decision to transition applies to the institution as a whole.

Different rules apply to private educational institutions. If an institution does not receive budgetary funding, the new state compensation system does not automatically result in salary increases for its employees. The terms and amounts of compensation are determined by the founder in accordance with the requirements of the law.

What happens if the community has not transitioned to the new system

If an educational institution’s transition to the new system depends on a community decision and such a decision has not been made, teachers will continue to be paid according to the Unified Pay Scale. In this case, the 40-percent increase in base salaries introduced on January 1, 2026, remains in effect, but the second phase of the increase, effective September 1, does not yet apply to them.

Thus, two educational institutions of the same type, for which the decision to transition is made by the founder, may temporarily operate under different pay systems in different communities: in one, the founder has already implemented the new terms, while in the other, salaries continue to be calculated according to the Unified Pay Scale.

This arrangement is transitional. The resolution maintaining the January salary increase within the Unified Pay Scale will expire on January 1, 2027. Therefore, the Ministry of Education and Science recommends that communities transition to the new pay conditions by that time.

Why the Increase Doesn’t Mean a Flat 20% Raise for Everyone

Even after transitioning to the new system, the actual salary increase may vary among different employees. This is because total compensation consists not only of the base salary but also of other payments, and for some employees, the structure of the base salary itself has also changed.

One reason why the actual salary increase may vary is the change in the role of the 2,600 hryvnia allowance for adverse working conditions. For educators who have transitioned to the new system, this amount was factored into the calculation of their new base salary. This is particularly important for some employees in preschool and extracurricular education, as they previously did not receive this separate allowance. As a result, their new base salary may increase more significantly than for those who already received this payment.

Certain other payments also depend on the base salary, including allowances for years of service and the prestige of teaching. Therefore, as the base salary increases, so does the amount of these allowances in hryvnias. At the same time, the specific set and amount of these allowances for an individual employee may vary depending on their position, years of service, workload, qualifications, and other established payments.

How can an employee determine the rules used to calculate their salary?

First and foremost, an employee should determine whether their institution has switched to a new pay system and, if so, effective from what date. If such a transition requires a decision by the founder, this information can be clarified with the organization’s manager or the accounting department, and the employee can also find out on what basis the terms of payment were changed.

It is not enough to rely solely on the amount credited to a bank card. With each payroll payment, the employer is required to inform the employee of the total amount of wages accrued, broken down by type of payment, the amounts and grounds for deductions, as well as the amount actually payable. This requirement is established by the Labor Code and the Law of Ukraine “On Wages.”

If an institution has switched to the new system, employees should check their base salary in the pay stub and verify which raises, allowances, and supplements have been applied to it. If the amount raises questions, the employee may contact the accounting department for clarification.

The Ministry of Education and Science states that employees’ salaries should increase following the transition to the new system. At the same time, the government has provided additional safeguards for cases where, due to changes in the calculation rules, the new amount—excluding bonuses—could turn out to be lower than the previous one: in such cases, the employee must be paid the difference.

Олег Пархітько