A physical education teacher in Chile earns between CLP 0.9 million and CLP 1.3 million gross a month in the fourth year after graduating, depending on the institution, according to the Employment and Income Search Tool of Mi Futuro, run by the Undersecretariat of Higher Education. The top bracket, CLP 1.2 million to CLP 1.3 million, belongs to graduates of U. de Antofagasta and U. Arturo Prat.
The tool lists 26 Physical Education Teaching programs, 22 of which report income, with an average lower bound of CLP 1.00 million. On average, 57.1% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 67.7% in their second. This guide explains how much a physical education teacher earns in Chile by institution, how long it takes to find work and how the field compares with similar degrees.
How much a physical education teacher earns in Chile by university
| Gross income bracket in year 4 | Institutions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million | U. de Antofagasta, U. Arturo Prat | 2 |
| CLP 1.1 to 1.2 million | U. Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, U. Andrés Bello | 2 |
| CLP 1.0 to 1.1 million | U. Mayor, U. Católica del Maule, U. de Las Américas, U. Católica de Temuco, U. de Concepción, Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso, U. Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez, U. Central de Chile, U. Autónoma de Chile, U. de La Frontera, U. Católica de la Santísima Concepción, U. San Sebastián, U. del Bío-Bío | 13 |
| CLP 0.9 to 1.0 million | U. Bernardo O'Higgins, U. Santo Tomás, U. de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación, U. de Viña del Mar, U. de Los Lagos | 5 |
| No data | U. de Atacama, U. de Tarapacá, U. de Santiago de Chile, U. Austral de Chile | 4 |
Source: Mi Futuro, Physical Education Teaching (26 programs, 22 with income data), accessed November 15, 2026. According to the search tool's methodology, income is the average gross monthly pay of 2018, 2019 and 2020 graduates in their fourth year after graduating, calculated with data from the Internal Revenue Service (SII) and expressed in September 2025 pesos. The employment rate is the share of graduates earning at least the minimum wage in their first or second year. Programs with few cases show "no information" (s/i). The highest bracket the tool publishes runs from CLP 2.5 to 3 million.
Of the 26 Physical Education Teaching programs in the tool, 22 report income. The top bracket, CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million, belongs to Universidad Arturo Prat and Universidad de Antofagasta, two northern universities. They are followed by Universidad Andrés Bello, with its primary education program, and Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación (UMCE), in the CLP 1.1 to 1.2 million bracket.
Most programs, 13 of them, are in the CLP 1 to 1.1 million bracket, including Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad Mayor and Universidad San Sebastián. In the CLP 900,000 to 1 million bracket are Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Playa Ancha, Viña del Mar and Santo Tomás. Universidad Austral, Atacama, Santiago and Tarapacá do not report income.
In the table below you can search for your institution and sort by income or employment rate:
| Universidad de Antofagasta | 1.2 | 82.3% | 83.3% |
| Universidad Arturo Prat | 1.2 | 70.5% | 84.0% |
| Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación | 1.1 | 67.4% | 67.4% |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 1.1 | 57.8% | 66.2% |
| Universidad Mayor | 1.0 | 59.4% | 68.5% |
| Universidad Católica del Maule | 1.0 | 56.4% | 66.0% |
| Universidad de Las Américas | 1.0 | 56.3% | 70.4% |
| Universidad Católica de Temuco | 1.0 | 55.8% | 63.5% |
| Universidad de Concepción | 1.0 | 55.8% | 64.7% |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 1.0 | 55.4% | 60.5% |
| Universidad Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez | 1.0 | 54.9% | 68.2% |
| Universidad Central de Chile | 1.0 | 54.3% | 63.2% |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chile | 1.0 | 52.4% | 64.4% |
| Universidad de La Frontera | 1.0 | 52.2% | 68.4% |
| Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 1.0 | 44.4% | 57.1% |
| Universidad San Sebastián | 1.0 | 43.7% | 62.4% |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 1.0 | 42.9% | 60.1% |
| Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins | 0.9 | 67.2% | 67.4% |
| Universidad Santo Tomás | 0.9 | 60.3% | 75.9% |
| Universidad de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación | 0.9 | 59.2% | 68.0% |
| Universidad de Viña del Mar | 0.9 | 41.8% | 59.7% |
| Universidad de Los Lagos | 0.9 | 37.0% | 56.8% |
| Universidad de Atacama | No data | 80.2% | 91.9% |
| Universidad de Tarapacá | No data | 62.4% | 67.1% |
| Universidad de Santiago de Chile | No data | 59.4% | 71.0% |
| Universidad Austral de Chile | No data | 54.9% | 64.5% |
What a physical education teacher does and what their school pay depends on
A physical education teacher teaches Physical Education and Health in primary and secondary school: plans units on sports, gymnastics, dance and healthy living, assesses students' fitness and, at many schools, runs sports workshops and teams. They also work at clubs, gyms, municipalities, the National Sports Institute (IND) and as personal trainers.
At state-funded schools, pay is not set by the university but by the Teaching Career system (Law 20,903): there is a minimum hourly pay, an allowance by level (Initial, Early, Advanced, Expert I and Expert II), increments for years of service and bonuses for working with vulnerable students. The levels and requirements are published by the CPEIP; details are in how much a teacher earns in Chile.
That is why Mi Futuro, which measures graduates' actual gross income in year 4 using SII tax data, works as a snapshot of early-career pay: according to the tool, the average lower bound is CLP 1.00 million. The figure includes those working part-time or by the hour, which is common in this subject, and does not separate school pay from club or gym pay.
Employment of physical education teachers in Chile
View the data as a table
| Average lower bound of the year-4 income bracket | CLP 1.00 M |
| Employment rate in year 1 | 57.1% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 67.7% |
| Average actual duration | 11.1 semesters |
| Indicator (Physical Education Teaching) | Range across institutions | Simple average |
|---|---|---|
| Employment rate in year 1 | 37,0% (U. de Los Lagos) – 82,3% (U. de Antofagasta) | 57.1% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 56,8% (U. de Los Lagos) – 91,9% (U. de Atacama) | 67.7% |
| Actual length of the degree | 9,4 – 12,8 | 11.1 semesters |
| First-year retention | 76,9% (U. Arturo Prat) – 95,3% (Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso) | 86.4% |
Source: Mi Futuro, simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. First-year employment ranges from 37.0% at Universidad de Los Lagos to 82.3% at Universidad de Antofagasta, and the average, 57.1%, is among the lowest of the teaching degrees: in primary education it reaches 90.0%. Part of the gap is because the subject has fewer hours in the curriculum and many graduates start with contracts for only a few hours, which may fall below the monthly minimum wage. The relationship between income and employment by university is shown in this chart:
View the data as a table
| Employment rate in year 1 | Lower bound of year-4 income bracket (CLP millions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Universidad de Antofagasta | 82.30% | 1.20 |
| Universidad Arturo Prat | 70.50% | 1.20 |
| Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación | 67.40% | 1.10 |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 57.80% | 1.10 |
| Universidad Mayor | 59.40% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Católica del Maule | 56.40% | 1.00 |
| Universidad de Las Américas | 56.30% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Católica de Temuco | 55.80% | 1.00 |
| Universidad de Concepción | 55.80% | 1.00 |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 55.40% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez | 54.90% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Central de Chile | 54.30% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chile | 52.40% | 1.00 |
| Universidad de La Frontera | 52.20% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 44.40% | 1.00 |
| Universidad San Sebastián | 43.70% | 1.00 |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 42.90% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins | 67.20% | 0.90 |
| Universidad Santo Tomás | 60.30% | 0.90 |
| Universidad de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación | 59.20% | 0.90 |
| Universidad de Viña del Mar | 41.80% | 0.90 |
| Universidad de Los Lagos | 37.00% | 0.90 |
A physical education teacher's pay versus other teaching degrees
| Degree | Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | Average employment rate in year 1 | Programs with income data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Teaching | CLP 1.23 million | 91.2% | 7 |
| Language Teaching | CLP 1.13 million | 83.5% | 9 |
| Primary Education Teaching | CLP 1.10 million | 90.0% | 18 |
| Physical Education Teaching | CLP 1.00 million | 57.1% | 22 |
| Sports and Fitness Technician | CLP 0.79 million | 35.5% | 7 |
Source: Mi Futuro, accessed November 15, 2026; simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. Physical education pays somewhat less than language and mathematics teaching, which have more hours in schools and more demand, and considerably more than the sports, recreation and fitness technician program, a degree of about six semesters. For other professions related to health and movement, see how much a physical therapist earns and how much a nutritionist earns.
How much a physical education teacher earns in Chile: from gross to net pay
For a physical education teacher with gross pay equal to the degree's average lower bound, CLP 1.00 million, the legal deductions are the pension fund (AFP) contribution (10% plus the fee), health (7% in Fonasa or the isapre plan), unemployment insurance (0.6% on an open-ended contract) and income tax. With a fee of about 1.5%, contributions add up to roughly 19.1%, leaving about CLP 0.81 million before income tax, which depends on the income bracket (our own approximate calculation). For reference, the minimum wage in Chile has been CLP 553,553 since May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a physical education teacher earn right after graduating in Chile?
There is no official first-year income figure. Mi Futuro reports income in the fourth year: between CLP 0.9 million and CLP 1.3 million gross depending on the institution, with an average lower bound of CLP 1.00 million.
Where should you study Physical Education Teaching to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, graduates of U. de Antofagasta and U. Arturo Prat are in the top bracket in year 4, CLP 1.2 million to CLP 1.3 million.
Is it easy to find work as a physical education teacher?
On average, 57.1% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 67.7% in their second, according to Mi Futuro.
How much does a physical education teacher earn at a municipal school?
It depends on contracted hours, Teaching Career level, years of service and how vulnerable the school's students are. Mi Futuro does not break pay down by type of school: it reports the average income of all graduates in year 4.
Where should you study physical education to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, Universidad Arturo Prat and Universidad de Antofagasta have the top bracket in year 4, CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million gross.
