This study explores the effects of digital competence, work-life balance, and transformational leadership on teacher productivity, with job satisfaction as a mediating variable, focusing on high school and vocational school teachers in Balige District, Toba Regency. Employing a quantitative explanatory approach, data were collected through a structured questionnaire using a Likert scale from 186 teachers and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that digital competence significantly enhances both job satisfaction and teacher productivity, with job satisfaction mediating this relationship. Similarly, work-life balance positively influences job satisfaction, which subsequently boosts productivity, though its direct effect on productivity was found insignificant. Conversely, transformational leadership does not have a direct or mediated influence on teacher productivity, suggesting potential contextual or cultural limitations in its application in rural settings. This research highlights the critical importance of fostering digital competence through targeted training and infrastructure development, as well as implementing policies that promote work-life balance to enhance teacher satisfaction and performance. The mediating role of job satisfaction underscores its centrality in translating individual and institutional factors into tangible productivity gains. While transformational leadership showed limited impact, it calls for further investigation into alternative leadership styles or enhanced alignment with rural educational contexts. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers and educational administrators seeking to improve teacher productivity and education quality in resource-constrained environments. Future research should address additional factors such as administrative support and community involvement to provide a more holistic understanding of productivity drivers in rural schools.