How much do teachers get paid?

Your salary depends on a number of factors such as your role, the school and where you are in the country, so it's important to do your research to know what you'll be paid

Early career teacher (ECT) salary

In England and Wales, as an ECT you'll start at the lowest point of the main pay scale for classroom teachers, which is £31,650 but this will vary depending on location (higher pay rates are instated in London and its fringes).

The Scottish equivalent of an ECT is a probationer, who, unlike an ECT, is initially employed on a probationary contract. The current probationer's salary is £33,594. In Northern Ireland, the minimum salary on the main pay scale is £30,000.

There are opportunities for regular pay rises as you develop your skills and performance in the classroom. Find out more about the life of a primary school teacher and what it’s like to be a secondary school teacher.

Qualified teacher salary

The pay scales for qualified teachers are split into main and upper pay ranges - after entering at the ECT/probationary starting point, teachers are promoted up the scales in line with excellent performance. These ranges, from the main rate to the highest upper rate, differ between countries across the UK:

• England (excluding London) and Wales - £31,650 to £49,084
• London - £33,075 to £50,471 (fringes), £36,413 to £53,994 (outer), £38,766 to £60,092 (inner)
• Scotland - £40,305 to £50,589
• Northern Ireland - £30,000 to £46,368.

Teachers who demonstrate a command of the classroom with proven expertise can apply to join the Lead Practitioner pay scale. Lead practitioners are paid considerably more than standard classroom teachers. Teachers can negotiate their inclusion on the Lead Practitioner scale with their school, using evidence from Lead Practitioner Accreditation, offered by SSAT.

Unqualified teacher salary

An unqualified teacher is someone who has not yet obtained Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) through the approved channels of postgraduate study, School Direct or Teach First. Find out more about the different routes into teaching.

Unqualified teachers are paid in relation to a six-point pay scale coordinated by the government's School Teachers' Review Body. Where an unqualified teacher ranks on this scale is at the discretion of the academy in which they're employed, with progression up the scale dependent on the unqualified teacher's performance.

The six-point scale runs from £21,731 to £33,902 in England and Wales. London rates vary. You can expect roughly a £1,000 (fringes) to £6,000 (inner) increase on these figures. Unqualified teachers in Northern Ireland can expect a salary of £15,358.

View the teachers' salaries table at Get Into Teaching for more information.

Supply teacher salary

England and Wales offer three rates of pay for supply teachers, reflecting levels of qualification and standards of teaching. These are:

• unqualified - £21,731 to £33,902
• main - £31,650 to £43,60
• upper - £45,646 to £49,084.

As work isn't guaranteed for the entire year, many supply teachers are paid a daily rate, which is calculated on a pro-rata basis by dividing the annual salary of their bracket by 195 (the number of days a teacher is required in school per year).

London-based supply teachers can expect higher salaries than this, with inner London positions offering up to £50,935 per annum. Pay rates for Scottish supply teachers vary depending on length of service, while Northern Irish substitute teachers are paid on a similar points-based pay scale to England and Wales.

Headteacher salary

The highest teaching salaries across the UK are paid to headteachers:

• England (excluding London) and Wales - £56,316 to £138,265
• London - £57,693 to £147,586 (this depends whether you are based in fringe, outer or inner London)
• Scotland - £62,556 to £115,539
• Northern Ireland - £53,309 to £130,715.

Public schools set their own rates of pay. State schools administer pay based on the age and number of children enrolled in the institution.

Teachers' pay scales

Pay scales are a national system of determining how much a teacher should be paid. Outside the main scale, which outlines the pay of qualified classroom teachers, there are individual pay scales for unqualified teachers, teaching assistants and headteachers, among other roles.

Upon starting a teaching role, you'll be paid at the lowest point of its pay scale. Opportunities to receive a pay rise will become available as a result of appraisal outcomes and meeting teaching standards set by schools. This is not the case in Scotland, where it is purely based on years in service.

Private schools don't follow these national pay scales, and are free to pay their teachers as they see fit. Very few private institutions advertise their pay scales publicly, although if looked after by an organisation such as the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) or the Headmaster and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), private school teachers can expect a pay scale similar to the state school system.

Additional payments and benefits

On top of their basic salary, many teachers enjoy additional payments:

• Special education needs (SEN) allowance - for working as a qualified teacher of SEN pupils, ranging between £2,384 and £4,703 a year.
• Teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments - for taking on more responsibilities within the role, ranging from £2,873 to £14,030 a year.

Other benefits include automatic entry onto the Teachers' Pension Scheme, which includes a generous employer contribution of 28.6%. Teachers also enjoy extensive holiday periods working 195 days in a year, compared to 227 on average if you worked full time in an office. However the majority of teachers will spend their holidays working and will be in the classroom preparing for the next term.

Teaching assistant salary

As there is no national pay scale for teaching assistants (TAs), the exact amount a TA earns is at the discretion of the Local Education Authority (LEA). This means two TAs in the same area could be paid different salaries depending on the demands of their specific roles.

Starting salaries are around £22,366. Many TAs are employed on part-time, term-time only or casual contracts, so actual take-home pay can be a lot less. According to UNISON, the public service union, in reality the average take home pay for TAs is between £13,000 and £15,000.

Find out what it takes to become a teaching assistant.

Early years teacher (EYT) salary

You can expect to earn a starting salary of between £18,000 and £20,000 but after gaining experience and improving your knowledge this could rise up to £38,000. Top-level salaries will include some management duties.

The profession is known for its low pay when compared with other roles but it is recognised throughout the sector that while early years workers deserve higher salaries, this can't happen without more funding.

Regardless of pay, early years teaching is a rewarding profession.

Further education teacher salary

While the University and College Union (UCU) provides recommended pay scales in England, Northern Ireland and Wales (in Scotland this is the Educational Institute of Scotland), further education institutions are free to set their own scales - and many do.

Figures are typically decided based on factors such as prior teaching experience, geographical location and subject demand. Generally, unqualified further education teacher salaries range from £21,021 to £25,366, rising to between £26,090 and £39,347 once qualified. You'll then work your way up pay scales as you gain experience, with typical salaries at advanced levels falling between £39,347 and £44,278.

Learn more about becoming a further education teacher.