PRT, TGT, PGT: what the titles mean, who qualifies, and what each pays

Almost every Indian school job ad uses three abbreviations — PRT, TGT, PGT — and almost none of them explain what the titles require or pay. Here's the full picture, current for 2026.

The three levels at a glance

The boundaries blur in real schools: TGTs commonly teach board classes (9–10), and PGTs often pick up Grade 9–10 sections alongside senior secondary. What never blurs is the qualification gate — a TGT cannot be timetabled for Grades 11–12 without a relevant master's degree.

Salary differences in 2026

In private CBSE schools in metro cities, each step up the ladder is worth roughly 20–35% in pay. Representative monthly gross ranges:

For calibration, government pay scales (7th CPC) place PRT at Level 6, TGT at Level 7 and PGT at Level 8 — good private schools benchmark against these, and the best exceed them for scarce subjects like Physics and Mathematics.

Moving up: how the ladder actually works

1. 1PRT → TGT: requires a subject bachelor's + B.Ed. Many PRTs complete these part-time; the harder part is getting timetabled for middle-school sections, so ask for Grade 6 exposure early.
2. 2TGT → PGT: requires a master's in your subject. Distance/online M.A. and M.Sc. programmes from recognised universities are accepted by most private schools.
3. 3Beyond PGT: the leadership track — subject HoD, coordinator, vice-principal, principal — where pay decouples from the PRT/TGT/PGT bands entirely.

One under-discussed point: the levels differ in craft, not just pay. PRT work is pedagogy-heavy — classroom management and foundational literacy/numeracy. PGT work is content-heavy — board results and competitive-exam depth. Plenty of brilliant PGTs would struggle with Grade 2, and vice versa. Choose the level that matches how you like to teach, not just the band. (Our take on what great teaching looks like at every level is on Life at NCFE.)