This case study looks at the Teacher Career Pathways programme, introduced in 2013 by the New York City Department of Education, with the cooperation of the United Federation of Teachers. Conceived as an alternative to merit pay schemes promoted by the Federal Government, the programme allows teachers to apply for teacher leadership roles, while continuing in their regular teaching roles and salary structure, taking on additional responsibility in exchange for higher pay. The study, conducted within the framework of an international research project on teacher careers implemented by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), highlights the overwhelmingly positive reactions to the Teacher Career Pathways programme and draws many lessons, in terms of both structure and implementation, as they may concern similar programmes.