Explaining the relative decline in teacher salaries

Abstract

The article describes possible explanations for the relative decline in teacher salaries during recent decades. The article focuses on the Norwegian case, but the situation regarding teacher salaries in Norway is equivalent in many other countries across the globe. Based on comparisons with other professions, three contributing explanations are proposed. All of these contributing explanations relate to a common theme of flexibility. The first proposed explanation is flexibility in certification, while the second and third have to do with flexibility in hiring.