TEACHER SALARIES IN LATIN-AMERICA - A REVIEW

In this paper we use data from household surveys of 12 Latin American countries to assess how teacher salaries compare to workers in other o ccupations. The results show great variability from one country to ano ther, ranging from an apparent underpayment of teachers in Bolivia by 35% relative to the control group, and a respective overpayment of 65% in Colombia. However, when statistical controls are introduced for th e differential education, hours worked and gender composition between teachers and the comparison group, much of the earnings differential b etween the two groups disappears. On the basis of this finding, we can not support the position that teachers are either overpaid or underpai d. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd