PlaceivoBetter Cities. Brighter Lives.
Explore cities
Home›Primary School Teachers: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)

Primary School Teachers: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)

Primary School Teachers is an official occupation group (ISCO-08 code 2341) used by the International Labour Organization and Eurostat.

  • Primary school teacher
8European countries report a shortage (EURES 2025)
5countries report a surplus
886open job ads right now in Germany and Sweden
2341ISCO-08 occupation code
Short answerIn the 2025 EURES report on labour shortages, 8 European countries reported a shortage of primary school teachers: Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia and Sweden. 5 reported a surplus: Austria, Cyprus, Czechia, Finland and Greece.

Pay in the UK for this job

£45,939median gross pay a year, full-time
£930median gross pay a week, full-time
313,000full-time jobs (ONS estimate)

UK occupation used: Primary education teaching professionals (SOC 2020 code 2314). Placeivo matched this to ISCO-08 2341 by job title and duties; the UK and international occupation lists do not line up exactly. National figure for the whole United Kingdom, in pounds sterling (GBP), before income tax and National Insurance.

Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025 provisional, Table 14 (occupation by 4-digit SOC 2020): tables 14.7a (annual pay, gross) and 14.1a (weekly pay, gross), full-time employee jobs, United Kingdom. Weekly pay is for April 2025; annual pay is for the tax year ending 5 April 2025, employees in the same job for at least a year. Retrieved 2026-10-13.

See the ONS earnings tables by occupation

UK Skilled Worker visa for this job

EligibleGOV.UK level: Higher Skilled
Pay scalegoing rate follows national pay scales

This occupation (UK code 2314, Primary education teaching professionals) is on the UK list of jobs eligible for the Skilled Worker visa. There is no figure in the general going-rate table: GOV.UK has separate salary rules for healthcare and education jobs, based on national pay scales (for example NHS pay bands), so the general minimum of £41,700 may not apply. Check the GOV.UK page for healthcare and education jobs. Placeivo matched this UK code to ISCO-08 2341 by job title; the lists do not line up exactly.

This is a summary of official rules, not legal advice. Rules change and some people (for example those already on a Skilled Worker visa) have different rules. Always check GOV.UK before you apply.

Source: UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK tables "Skilled Worker visa: eligible occupations and codes" and "Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes", updated 2025-07-22, retrieved 2026-10-15. General minimum salary from GOV.UK "Skilled Worker visa: Your job", checked 2026-10-15.

Compare UK visa going rates by job · Eligible occupations (GOV.UK) · Going rates (GOV.UK) · Healthcare and education rules (GOV.UK) · Salary rules (GOV.UK)

Latest primary school teachers job ads

Real vacancies from the official public employment services, updated daily. Job titles are translated into English automatically; the full ad opens on the official site in German or Swedish (your browser's translate button turns it into English).

Germany

19 open ads

Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Germany

Sweden

867 open ads

Source: Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Sweden

Where primary school teachers are needed in Europe

CountryEURES 2025Average gross pay, all professionals (2022)1-bed rent in the capital
BelgiumShortage€5,370 a month *Brussels: €1,150
BulgariaShortage€1,367 a monthSofia: €650
EstoniaShortage€2,262 a monthTallinn: €720
GermanyShortage€5,270 a monthBerlin: €1,350
ItalyShortage€3,172 a month *Rome: €1,300
NetherlandsShortage€4,726 a monthNot yet verified
SloveniaShortage€2,727 a monthLjubljana: €950
SwedenShortage€4,330 a month *Stockholm: €2,100
AustriaSurplus€4,602 a month *Vienna: €1,250
CyprusSurplus€2,809 a monthNicosia: €750
CzechiaSurplus€2,276 a monthPrague: €1,250
FinlandSurplus€4,673 a month *Helsinki: €1,150
GreeceSurplus€1,904 a month *Athens: €1,150

Pay: Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey 2022, mean gross monthly earnings of all professionals in each country, in euros. This is the average for the whole occupation group, not for primary school teachers alone, and before tax. * Firms with 10 or more employees only. Rent: Eurostat, good-quality 1-bedroom flat in the capital, 2025.

What primary school teachers do

Primary school teachers teach a range of subjects at the primary education level.

Typical tasks

  • Preparing daily and longer term lesson plans in accordance with curriculum guidelines
  • Instructing children individually and in groups, using various teaching methods and materials (e.g. computers, books, games), adapting to children’s varying needs
  • Maintaining discipline and good working habits in the classroom
  • Planning and conduct activities with the children such as sporting activities, concerts and excursions
  • Assigning and grading class work and homework
  • Preparing, administering, and grading tests and assignments to evaluate children’s progress
  • Observing and evaluating children’s performance and behaviour
  • Supervising children during classes and at other times in the school day, including the playground during breaks
  • Participating in staff meetings and other sessions, and conferring with other teachers concerning educational issues
  • Preparing for and attending parent meetings to discuss children’s progress and problems

Finding primary school teachers jobs in Europe

Search all EU vacancies on EURES Check if your job is regulated
  • EURES is the official job portal of the EU public employment services. The search above looks for "Primary school teacher".
  • Some jobs are regulated professions: before you can work, your qualification may need to be recognised in the new country.
  • If you are not an EU/EEA citizen you will usually need a work permit or a visa such as the EU Blue Card. Check the rules of the country's immigration authority.

Cost of living where the jobs are

Take-home pay needed to rent a good 1-bedroom flat in the capitals of countries reporting a shortage:

BrusselsSofiaTallinnBerlinRomeLjubljanaStockholm

About this data

  • Shortage and surplus: European Labour Authority, EURES Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annex table 21 (published 2026). Each country's public employment service reports which occupations it finds hard to fill or in oversupply. Countries not listed did not report this occupation as either.
  • Definition, tasks and job titles: International Labour Organization, ISCO-08 structure and definitions.
  • Pay: Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_48), by occupation group. United Kingdom, closest UK occupation: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (median pay of full-time employees).
  • Job ads: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Germany) and Arbetsförmedlingen (Sweden), refreshed about once a day.

See all jobs in demand in Europe · Methodology