A 30% Teacher Salary Hike Announced: Kyiv Physics Teacher Reveals What He Actually Earns.

Teachers Get a Pay Raise, But Not Everyone Is Celebrating

According to Novyny.live: Starting January 1, 2026, the Ukrainian government has approved a 30% increase in official base salaries for teachers. However, due to funding shortages, some educational institutions have cut prestige-related bonuses down to just 5%. These changes follow a broader government resolution (Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 1749, dated December 26, 2025), which raises the minimum base rate for teachers by 40%.

Real Numbers Behind the Raise

Ruslan Tsygankov, a physics and computer science teacher from Kyiv, recently disclosed his actual salary: 26,420 hryvnias for a workload of 31.5 hours per week. According to Tsygankov,

“This is significantly different from last year.”

Under the new pay scale, official teacher salaries as of March 2026 are as follows:

• Grades 10–11: from 8,841 hryvnias;
• Grade 12: from 10,298.40 hryvnias;
• Grade 13: from 11,027.80 hryvnias;
• Grade 14: from 11,755.80 hryvnias.

While the pay hike aims to improve teachers' financial standing, the reality in many schools remains concerning.

Additionally, Ukrainian educators have until March 16 to apply for the 'Money Follows the Teacher' program, which could further boost their income. These government initiatives come with their own set of challenges that still need to be addressed.

Raising teacher salaries is a crucial step toward better working conditions in Ukraine’s education system. Yet, the reduction of prestige bonuses in some schools highlights ongoing financial pressures. This underscores the need for a comprehensive reform strategy to ensure teachers receive stable and fair compensation.