The Teachers Service Commission(TSC) Salary scales for the 2018 and 2019 show a huge difference between the lowest paid teachers and the highest paid ones.The lowest paid teacher in Kenya earns Ksh 16,692 while the highest paid teacher pockets Ksh 200,928
Most teachers are in job groups J to L and they earn an average salary of Ksh45,000.For a more detailed review of teachers’ salaries in Kenya, here is a complete table.
| Civil Service Job Group | Teachers Designation |
Basic Salary | Common Allowances | Gross Salary | |||
| Min. | Max. | House | Commuter | Min. | Max. | ||
| G | P1 | 16,692 | 21,304 | 5,000 | 4,000 | 25,692 | 30,304 |
| H | ATS IV | 19,323 | 24,662 | 5,000 | 4,000 | 28,323 | 33,662 |
| J | GAT III | 24,662 | 29,918 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 34,662 | 39,918 |
| K | GAT II | 31,020 | 41,590 | 10,000 | 5,000 | 46,020 | 56,590 |
| L | GAT I | 35,910 | 45,880 | 20,000 | 6,000 | 61,910 | 71,880 |
| M | Senior GAT | 41,590 | 55,840 | 20,000 | 8,000 | 69,590 | 83,840 |
| N | Principal GAT II | 48,190 | 65,290 | 24,000 | 8,000 | 80,190 | 97,290 |
| P | Principal GAT I | 77,527 | 103,894 | 40,000 | 12,000 | 129,527 | 155,894 |
| Q | Senior Principal | 89,748 | 120,270 | 40,000 | 14,000 | 143,748 | 174,270 |
| R | Chief Principal | 109,089 | 144,928 | 40,000 | 16,000 | 165,089 | 200,928 |
Compared to civil servants in the same job groups, teachers earn peanuts.
In Kenya it’s good to be a teacher when you want to live an average life but if you want to be rich,teaching should not be among your options.What I have noticed over time is that most teachers depend on loans for survival. The worst part of these loans is that they make one a slave.Imagine your salary is Ksh 40,000 and you take a loan of Ksh 1.5 million to build a family home.If you pay Ksh 15,000 monthly for the lona,it means you’ll take at least 10 years to complete your loan.for the 10 years you’ll be teaching, no development will occur because your income will be squeezed.If you take another lona after repaying the first one,you’ll take another 10 years to repay.It means for 20 good years,you’re a slave.
But for people who work in other government institutions where eating is the order of the day,they get rich as quickly as possible.And this explains why teaching is one of the worst professions in Kenya.
