Many Questions Regarding Unacceptable Lecturer Salaries: What are the Government's Regulations?

Low lecturer salaries in Indonesia are currently being highlighted by netizens on social media. A survey by the online research publication *The Conversation* even reveals that the average lecturer salary in Indonesia is below the regional minimum wage (UMR).

Based on a survey of 1,200 active lecturers in April 2023, almost half of lecturers in Indonesia have low or inadequate salaries. A recorded 42.9% of lecturers receive a fixed income of less than Rp 3 million per month.

The remaining 29.8% of lecturers receive an income of Rp 3 million to Rp 5 million per month, and 27.3% receive more than Rp 5 million per month.

“Almost half earn less than $300 a month!! Want to rebel,” tweeted user @sociotalker on Thursday (4/5/2023).

Joel Picard, the man behind the account, lamented the low salaries of lecturers in Indonesia. He argued that lecturers are a crucial profession for national progress.

(Read also: Still 14.8 Million Indonesian Workers Receiving Inadequate Wages in 2022)

So, how high are the actual salaries of civil servant (PNS) lecturers in Indonesia?

The basic salary of state lecturers is stipulated in Government Regulation Number 15 of 2019. A state lecturer's salary varies depending on years of service and highest educational attainment. The minimum education requirement for a lecturer is a Master's degree (S2).

Based on years of service, state lecturer salaries are divided into two groups: Grade III, comprising those with Master's (S2) and Doctoral (S3) degrees, and Grade IV, comprising those with Doctoral (S3) degrees. Each grade is further subdivided into levels.

Here are the salary ranges for PNS lecturers based on their grade:

Salary of Grade III PNS Lecturers with 0-1 year of service and a minimum of a Master's degree (S2)

* Grade IIIb: Rp 2,688,500 - Rp 4,415,600
* Grade IIIc: Rp 2,802,300 - Rp 4,602,400
* Grade IIId: Rp 2,920,800 - Rp 4,797,000

Salary of Grade IV PNS Lecturers with five years of service and a Doctoral degree (S3)

* Grade IVa: Rp 3,044,300 - Rp 5,000,000
* Grade IVb: Rp 3,173,100 - Rp 5,211,500
* Grade IVc: Rp 3,307,300 - Rp 5,431,900
* Grade IVd: Rp 3,447,200 - Rp 5,661,700
* Grade IVe: Rp 3,593,100 - Rp 5,901,200