An education assistant receives a salary based on a public service index, without automatic progression linked to seniority. This mechanism often surprises candidates for the position: whether an AED is starting out or has several years of contracts, the amount listed on the payslip remains the same, except for local exceptions.
AED Salary Index: A Fixed Salary Despite Seniority
The salary of an education assistant is based on a national major index. According to the senatorial question from Jean-Jacques Panunzi, AEDs on fixed-term contracts are paid at index 366, which is approximately 1,448 euros net per month for full-time work. For part-time (50% quota), this amount drops to about 724 euros net.
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Have you noticed that a colleague who started nine years before you earns exactly the same amount? This is the reality of the position. The absence of a progressive index grid means that no salary increase rewards the experience gained over the years of contracts. This point is the subject of recurring union demands, particularly from SNALC and SUD education.
To consult the details of the calculation and specific cases, the AED salary grid on Home Educ details the amounts according to hourly quota and type of contract.
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AED Permanent Contracts and Seniority Recognition: Discrepancies by Academy
Since the law of March 2, 2022, an education assistant can obtain a permanent contract after six years of fixed-term contracts. On paper, this transition was meant to secure career paths. In practice, the effect on salary varies greatly from one academy to another.
Some rectorates maintain the AED on a permanent contract at the same index as their last fixed-term contract. Others accept a more favorable recognition of seniority, creating a salary gap for the same position depending on the place of assignment. An AED on a permanent contract in Versailles does not necessarily earn the same as an AED on a permanent contract in Lille, even though their daily missions are comparable.
AEDs on permanent contracts start with an index of 376, according to figures cited in the Senate. The difference with the index 366 of fixed-term contracts remains modest: a few dozen euros net per month. The transition to a permanent contract secures the position, but not really the purchasing power.
Bonuses and Additional Compensation for Education Assistants
The base salary does not always reflect the total amount an AED receives each month. Several supplements are added based on the missions performed in the school:
- Extra hours of supervision, paid according to the actual volume performed beyond the annualized service
- Allowances related to boarding and nights, which concern AEDs assigned to institutions with accommodation
- Participation in exams (diploma, baccalaureate), compensated by occasional fees
Local union surveys, such as that of SUD education 75, show that in some institutions, the share of these supplements can exceed one-tenth of the gross salary. The actual remuneration of an AED therefore fluctuates from month to month, complicating personal budget management.
Student AED Contracts and Teaching Hour Accumulation
The position of education assistant attracts many students, especially those preparing for teaching competitions. Since the start of the 2023 school year, several rectorates (notably Versailles and Créteil) are more systematically applying the accumulation of an AED contract and teaching hours as a contractual teacher.
This system, sometimes called “alternating AED,” allows for significantly exceeding the base salary by adding hours in front of students to the schedule. Why this choice? It meets two needs: to supplement a modest salary and to gain initial teaching experience before the competition.
This practice is not yet uniform across the territory. A student in the Versailles academy may have easier access than another in a rural academy where the need for contractual teachers is lower.
AED Salary Revaluation: Where Are the Union Demands?
The question of a national index grid for education assistants regularly comes back into the debate. Senator Jean-Jacques Panunzi has called on the Minister of National Education on this subject, highlighting that around 63,000 AEDs work in France under conditions of salary precariousness.
The demands focus on several areas:
- The creation of a progressive grid with steps linked to seniority, so that an experienced AED earns more than a beginner
- The harmonization of seniority recognition practices between academies when transitioning to a permanent contract
- The revaluation of the minimum index, currently set at 366 for fixed-term contracts
- The recognition of the AED profession as a genuine public service job, rather than as a student part-time position
No structural reform of AED remuneration has been adopted to date. Adjustments remain occasional, academy by academy, without a binding national framework. For an education assistant considering staying in the profession, the salary trajectory depends less on the official grid than on the rectorate of assignment and the supplements obtained locally.