The salary of a CPGE professor is based on a remuneration structure distinct from that of secondary education, and confusion persists because the salary scales are common to all agrégés, whether they teach in high school or in preparatory classes. The difference lies in three areas: the regulatory service obligation (ORS), specific indemnity supplements for CPGE, and the colles.
ORS and additional hours in CPGE: a poorly understood mechanism
The ORS of an agrégé in preparatory class is set at 10 hours per week (compared to 15 hours for an agrégé in high school). This reduction in face-to-face teaching time does not mean a lighter workload: preparing lessons at this level consumes a considerable amount of time, and the time spent outside of class often exceeds the time spent in front of students.
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Where the subject becomes complicated is regarding annual additional hours (HSA). In secondary education, an agrégé can accumulate several HSAs, each significantly increasing the net monthly salary. In CPGE, the situation differs radically depending on the class size and the subject.
UNSA Éducation points out that in certain preparatory classes, although the ORS is set at 10 hours, teachers do not benefit from HSAs. This particularly concerns small classes or certain disciplinary configurations where the regulatory hourly volume does not allow for additional hours. An agrégé assigned to a single small class may therefore receive a gross salary significantly lower than what the general public imagines.
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To better understand the salary of preparatory teachers, it is necessary to distinguish the salary scale, identical to that of any agrégé at the same level, from the supplements that vary greatly from one position to another.
Colles in preparatory classes: the main lever for variable remuneration
Oral examinations, known as colles, constitute the most visible supplementary income source for CPGE teachers. Each hour of colles is remunerated on a regulatory basis, and a teacher can conduct several per week depending on the needs of their institution.
The disparities between institutions and subjects are considerable. A mathematics teacher in a scientific preparatory class with a high density of classes (MP, PC, PSI) may be assigned a significantly higher volume of colles than a literature teacher in a modest-sized literary preparatory class. The net monthly income can vary by several hundred euros between two agrégés at the same level, simply based on the number of colles conducted.
This system produces a rarely documented perverse effect: real remuneration depends less on seniority than on the position held. An agrégé early in their career assigned to a large Parisian institution with a high volume of colles may earn more than a seasoned colleague in a small provincial preparatory class.
Colles and capping: what the regulations provide
The number of hours of colles is not unlimited. Each institution allocates a global quota of examination hours, defined by regulatory texts based on the number of classes and the field. The heads of institutions arbitrate this envelope, creating recurring tensions within teams.
- Scientific fields (MPSI, MP, PC, PSI) have a higher quota of colles than literary or economic fields
- A teacher can refuse colles, but this directly impacts their monthly income
- Colles conducted in an institution other than the assigned one are possible but subject to the head of institution’s authorization
2023-2024 revaluation and real impact on preparatory pay slips
The revaluation of the index point that occurred in 2023-2024 has mechanically increased the salary scale of all civil servants, including CPGE teachers. This increase is supplemented by the reconfiguration of bonuses: attractiveness bonus, ISOE (indemnity for student monitoring and guidance).
The figures from the Court of Auditors published in 2013 are still regularly cited in public debates to discuss salaries in CPGE. These data are now outdated. The increase in the index point, new bonuses, and the evolution of scales make any comparison with these old amounts misleading.
We observe that the confusion often arises from a mix-up between gross salary (identical for all agrégés at the same level) and real net income, which includes colles, possible HSAs, and specific bonuses. A summary table helps visualize the components:
| Component | Variable by position? | Impact on net monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Salary scale | No (linked to level) | Fixed base, identical in high school and CPGE |
| HSA | Yes (class size, subject) | Sometimes none in CPGE |
| Colles | Yes (field, institution) | Several hundred euros of variation |
| ISOE / bonuses | Partially | Revalued since 2023 |
Salary of preparatory teachers: gap between public perception and statutory reality
The principal of Louis-le-Grand publicly stated that few teachers earn more than 8,000 euros per month. This statement aimed to correct the image of teachers who are systematically very well paid, an image fueled by press articles citing averages inflated by a few atypical profiles.
The statutory reality is more nuanced. An agrégé in mid-career, out of class, with an average volume of colles, receives a comfortable net monthly income compared to the average of public teachers, but far from the amounts sometimes suggested. The average net salary for all public teachers hovers around 2,950 euros net, which gives a rough idea of the baseline from which CPGE supplements are added.
- A certified teacher cannot theoretically be appointed in CPGE (reserved for agrégés and exceptionally for normalien)
- Access to the status of superior chair professor (formerly “exceptional class” of preparatory classes) remains contingent and represents the top of the scale
- The variable part (colles, HSAs when they exist) can represent up to a third of net income in the most favorable configurations
The issue of salaries in CPGE remains structurally opaque because it mixes secondary education rules, specificities of preparatory classes, and local institutional practices. Comparing two pay slips of preparatory teachers without knowing their volume of colles, their field, and their level is akin to comparing two positions that have only the title in common.