Teacher pay in England and Wales follows a national pay framework. Teachers progress up the Main Pay Range (M1-M6), can apply to the Upper Pay Range (U1-U3), and may receive Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments for additional duties.
Updated July 2026. The government confirmed the STRB 3.5% award effective 1 September 2026; the figures below show the new 2026/27 rates (applied to the 2025/26 statutory scale). Take-home is calculated on 2025/26 tax thresholds, which are frozen to 2028.
Salary Table
| Role | Average Salary | Take Home/Month |
|---|---|---|
| NQT/ECT (M1) | £34,068 | £2,337 |
| Teacher (M2) | £36,042 | £2,456 |
| Teacher (M3) | £38,400 | £2,597 |
| Teacher (M4) | £40,940 | £2,750 |
| Teacher (M5) | £43,529 | £2,905 |
| Teacher (M6 - top of main) | £46,939 | £3,110 |
| Upper Pay Scale (U1) | £49,134 | £3,241 |
| Upper Pay Scale (U2) | £50,955 | £3,343 |
| Upper Pay Scale (U3 - top) | £52,835 | £3,433 |
| Head of Department (TLR2) | £46,000 | £3,053 |
| Head of Department (TLR1) | £50,000 | £3,293 |
| Assistant Head | £56,000 | £3,586 |
| Deputy Head | £65,000 | £4,021 |
| Head Teacher (small school) | £65,000 | £4,021 |
| Head Teacher (large school) | £85,000 | £4,988 |
| Head Teacher (max) | £143,796 | £7,333 |
| Teaching Assistant | £19,000 | £1,433 |
| HLTA | £25,000 | £1,793 |
The Teachers' Pension
Like the NHS pension, the Teachers' Pension Scheme is a defined benefit scheme and is extremely valuable. Employer contributions are 28.68% of salary. This means a teacher on £35,000 effectively has total compensation of about £45,000 when including the pension contribution. This significantly narrows the perceived pay gap with the private sector.
London Weighting
Teachers in London receive additional pay: Inner London (+£5,000-£6,000), Outer London (+£2,000-£3,000), London Fringe (+£1,000-£2,000). The figures above show the base national rate.
Understanding Teacher Compensation
Teacher salaries in England and Wales follow a structured pay scale. Newly qualified teachers (ECTs) start on Main Pay Scale point 1 (M1) at £34,068 (£41,728 in Inner London), progressing to M6 at £46,939 over approximately six years. Teachers who pass the threshold assessment move to the Upper Pay Scale, earning £49,134-£52,835. These figures often look modest, but the total compensation package tells a different story.
The Teachers' Pension Scheme is one of the most valuable in the UK. Your employer contributes 28.6% of your salary — worth over £8,500 per year for a teacher on M6. This is a career-average defined benefit pension, providing a guaranteed income in retirement that would cost significantly more to replicate privately. When pension value is included, a teacher on UPS3 (£52,835 salary) has total compensation equivalent to approximately £66,000 in the private sector. See our teacher pay scale guides for detailed breakdowns at each point.
Leadership roles offer significant salary increases. Head teachers of large secondary schools can earn £70,000-145,000, while assistant and deputy heads typically earn £50,000-70,000. Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments of £3,214-16,956 supplement the main salary for teachers with additional responsibilities.
Where Teaching Salaries Sit Nationally
Upper-scale and leadership teachers are firmly in the upper half of UK earners. See how teaching pay compares across the national income distribution:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the starting salary for a teacher in 2026/27?
A newly qualified teacher (ECT) starts on M1, which is £34,068 in the rest of England and Wales (outside London). Inner London starts higher at £41,728. After tax and National Insurance, M1 take-home is around £2,337 per month.
How much does a teacher earn at the top of the pay scale?
The top of the main classroom scale is UPS3 at £52,835 (rest of England). Leadership roles go far higher — from £53,585 (L1) up to £143,796 (L43) for the largest headteacher posts. See our full teacher pay scale breakdown.
Do teachers get a good pension?
Yes. The Teachers' Pension Scheme is a career-average defined benefit scheme with a 28.68% employer contribution — one of the most valuable workplace pensions in the UK. It adds roughly £8,500–£13,000 a year in value depending on your pay point.
How much more do London teachers earn?
London weighting adds to every pay point. On M1, London Fringe pays £35,602, Outer London £39,195, and Inner London £41,728 — over £7,000 more than the rest of England.
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