In what countries are high-achieving students attracted to teaching? In-service teacher surveys often show that current teachers are highly motivated by the intrinsic benefits of teaching - working with children and helping them develop, and making a contribution to society - while studies that survey large pools of graduates about their career choices show that the relative salaries of graduate occupations play a role in their choices: had teachers’ salaries been higher, more “potential teachers" would have seriously considered a career in teaching. At the country level, results indicate that both teachers’ salaries and the social status of the teaching profession are positively associated with students' expectations of working as teachers.