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The short answer
Private school teacher pay in Nigeria is set by each school, with no published industry scale; it varies most by school tier, city and subject. The legal floor is the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, but only for schools with 25 or more employees; smaller schools are exempt. Under the Labour Act, any teacher on a monthly contract is owed written terms within three months and pay at intervals of no more than a month.
Why there is no single figure
Public school teachers are paid on state or federal scales. Private school teachers are paid whatever their contract says. There is no regulator-published scale, no common grading and, in our search for this article, no dated survey from an official source. So when you see "private teachers earn X", ask: which tier of school, which city, which subject, and what year?
How school tier shapes pay
The table below describes how pay tends to be structured by type of school, based on how roles are advertised. It deliberately gives no naira figures, because we could not source a dated range we would stand behind.
| School type | How pay is usually set | What tends to come with it |
|---|---|---|
| Small neighbourhood school (fewer than 25 staff) | Owner sets a flat monthly figure | Often no pension or health cover; may not pay in long vacation |
| Mid-sized private school | Internal scale by qualification and experience | Some allowances; pension more likely if staff numbers are higher |
| High-fee or international-curriculum school | Formal grading, annual review, sometimes in two currencies for foreign hires | Pension, health insurance, training, sometimes housing or transport |
| Faith or mission schools | Mixed; some follow a public-style scale | Varies widely |
Subject matters inside each tier. Teachers of mathematics, sciences, computing and exam-class subjects are commonly harder to recruit, which gives them more room to negotiate.
The legal floor, and who it covers
The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 set ₦70,000 a month as the minimum for covered workers. As described by Mondaq in August 2024, it exempts establishments with fewer than 25 employees, part-time workers paid on commission or piece rate, and seasonal workers. Count all staff, not just teachers: a school with 18 teachers, two cleaners, three drivers and two security guards employs 25 people and is covered. Where it applies, paying below ₦70,000 is an offence, and the employer is liable to pay the arrears.
Part-time teachers paid by the lesson may fall within the piece-rate exemption. If you are paid per period taught, ask whether you are being treated as part-time and what that means for your other terms.
Holiday months and the Labour Act
A common dispute is pay during the long vacation. The answer depends on the contract:
- If you are employed on a monthly contract that runs all year, wages fall due at the end of each month under section 15 of the Labour Act, including vacation months.
- If your contract is expressed to run only for the term, or says vacation is unpaid, that is what you agreed, which is why reading it before signing matters.
- Section 18 entitles a worker to at least six working days' paid holiday after 12 months' continuous service, and the school cannot pay wages in place of it while the contract runs.
Section 7 requires a written statement of terms within three months of starting, covering pay, pay dates, hours and holidays. Ask for it if you have not received one.
Building your own labelled range
- Collect ten or more adverts for similar roles in your city that state pay.
- Note for each: school type, subject, qualification asked for, monthly or termly, and the date.
- Ask two or three teachers at comparable schools what they are paid, and whether vacation months are paid.
- Use the middle of what you find, not the highest figure, as your anchor.
Example: comparing two offers (illustration only)
Offer A (example): ₦120,000 a month, paid 12 months a year, with pension. Annual pay is ₦1,440,000. Offer B (example): ₦140,000 a month, paid only during the three terms, about nine months. Annual pay is ₦1,260,000. Offer B looks higher per month but pays ₦180,000 less a year, and has no pension.
Fines, deductions and late pay
Some schools deduct money from teachers' pay for lateness, missed duties or damaged property. Section 5 of the Labour Act says no deductions may be made from wages except as the Act or another law permits, and section 5(7) caps total deductions in a month at one third of that month's wages, for workers the Act covers. A deduction that is not in your written terms, or that takes more than a third of your pay, is worth questioning in writing.
If salaries arrive weeks late every month, keep a record of the due date and the date paid. Our guide to an employer owing salary sets out the steps.
What to negotiate
- Vacation pay, in writing.
- Pay for extra lessons, weekend coaching and exam preparation.
- Pension and health cover.
- An annual review date and what it is based on.
- Notice period and the final pay process.
See how to negotiate salary and, for public scales, teachers' salary structures.
Where Pryme fits
Schools are one of the sectors in Spaces, Pryme's merchant ecosystem in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. Schools with a Pryme Business Account can pay staff through payroll; teachers can follow our salary budgeting guide.
Questions people ask
How much do private school teachers earn in Nigeria?
There is no published scale; pay is set by each school. It varies by tier, city and subject. Build a range from dated adverts in your area.
Is minimum wage compulsory for private schools?
Only for schools with 25 or more employees, counting all staff. Smaller schools are exempt under the Act.
Should private schools pay teachers during holidays?
If your contract is monthly and runs all year, yes: wages fall due each month under s.15 of the Labour Act. Check your contract.
What should a teacher's contract include?
Pay, pay dates, hours, holidays, notice and duties. Under s.7, a written statement is due within three months of starting.
Sources
- Mondaq (Pavestones Legal): The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024, key updates for employers (28 Aug 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- Labour Act, Cap L1 LFN 2004 (PLAC Laws of Nigeria) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.