Career basics · 6 min read
PRT vs TGT vs PGT: What's the difference?
PRT, TGT and PGT are the three teaching designations Indian K-12 schools use to map a teacher's qualification to the classes they're allowed to teach. The labels look bureaucratic, but they decide your pay band, your timetable and even which interview panel you face. Here's what each one actually means in 2026 — and how to move between them.
PRT — Primary Teacher (Classes 1–5)
PRT stands for Primary Teacher. You teach Classes 1–5 — sometimes Pre-Primary too, depending on the school. Most CBSE and ICSE schools ask for a graduation degree (any stream) plus a B.El.Ed, D.El.Ed or NTT, and CTET Paper 1 or the equivalent state TET.
Typical salary range in private schools is ₹2.5–6 LPA, higher in IB and top metro schools. PRT roles are the most numerous — if you're a fresher, this is usually where the door opens.
TGT — Trained Graduate Teacher (Classes 6–10)
TGT roles cover middle and secondary school: Classes 6–10. The bar is a graduation degree in the subject you teach (so a TGT Maths teacher needs a B.Sc or B.A in Maths) plus a B.Ed, plus CTET Paper 2 or the state TET.
TGT is the most common designation in CBSE schools. Salary range is roughly ₹3–8 LPA in private schools; central government schools (KV, NVS) pay on the 7th Pay Commission scale, which is materially higher.
PGT — Post Graduate Teacher (Classes 11–12)
PGT roles teach senior secondary — Classes 11 and 12. You need a post-graduate degree in the subject (M.Sc, M.A, M.Com), plus a B.Ed. CTET is not always mandatory at PGT level, but most reputed schools still ask for it.
PGT salaries in private schools usually start at ₹4 LPA and reach ₹12+ LPA at senior IB or top CBSE schools. PGTs also typically run board examination prep, which is a meaningful career credential.
How to move from PRT to TGT to PGT
The path is almost always: finish the next qualification (B.Ed for TGT, M.Sc/M.A for PGT) while you teach, take CTET, then apply externally. Schools rarely promote a PRT directly to TGT in the same school — it's faster to change schools at the same time as you change designation.
If you're targeting a specific designation, search openings that explicitly call it out: e.g. 'PGT English Delhi' or 'TGT Science Bengaluru'. Each of those queries has a live, curated page on School Jobs India that updates daily.
Which designation should you target?
Match your highest subject qualification to the designation: graduation → TGT, post-graduation → PGT, B.El.Ed / NTT → PRT. Then narrow by board (CBSE pays predictably, IB pays best, state boards have job security), then by city.
Use the related searches below to jump into live openings for each designation.