The Northern Ireland classroom teacher range, from the bottom of the main scale to the top of the upper pay scale, under the 2025/26 pay settlement accepted by the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council in January 2026.
Is There a 2026/27 Teacher Pay Scale for Northern Ireland Yet?
No — and that is the honest answer to the question. As at August 2026, the most recent settlement is the 2025/26 award: a 4% uplift to every teacher and school-leader pay point, effective 1 September 2025, formally accepted by the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council on 13 January 2026 after the offer was tabled that month. Teaching and Special Needs allowances rose by the same 4%. The tables on this page are that scale — transcribed from the Department of Education's published pay scales — and they are the figures NI teachers are paid right now.
Why the NI scale runs behind. Teachers' pay in Northern Ireland is negotiated separately, through the Teachers' Negotiating Committee, and settlements have repeatedly landed after the school year they cover has started — the 2025/26 deal was agreed four months into the year and backdated to 1 September 2025. If a 2026/27 settlement follows the same pattern, the September 2025 figures below remain the payable scale until it is agreed, and any award would be backdated. This page will be updated when a 2026/27 settlement is published.
NI Main Pay Scale and Take-Home Pay
Like Wales — and unlike England — the published Northern Ireland main scale starts at M2: there is no M1 point on the current tables, and a newly qualified teacher starts on M2. The 4% settlement took the starting salary to £32,916:
| Point | From 1 Sep 2024 | From 1 Sep 2025 | Take-home/yr | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 (minimum) | £31,650 | £32,916 | £27,219 | £2,268 |
| M3 | £33,831 | £35,185 | £28,853 | £2,404 |
| M4 | £36,354 | £37,809 | £30,742 | £2,562 |
| M5 | £39,134 | £40,700 | £32,824 | £2,735 |
| M6 (maximum) | £42,144 | £43,830 | £35,077 | £2,923 |
Take-home is after income tax and National Insurance — Northern Ireland uses the same rates and thresholds as England (income tax is not devolved to Stormont the way it is to Holyrood), so an NI teacher and an English teacher on the same gross keep the same amount. Figures are before pension.
NI Upper Pay Scale and Take-Home Pay
| Point | From 1 Sep 2024 | From 1 Sep 2025 | Take-home/yr | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPS1 | £45,567 | £47,390 | £37,640 | £3,137 |
| UPS2 | £47,215 | £49,104 | £38,874 | £3,240 |
| UPS3 (maximum) | £48,919 | £50,876 | £40,065 | £3,339 |
NI Leadership Pay Scale — All 43 Points
Principals and vice-principals are paid on the leadership scale, L1 to L43. The school's board of governors sets the range for a post within these statutory points:
| Point | From 1 Sep 2024 | From 1 Sep 2025 | Take-home/yr | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | £49,840 | £51,834 | £40,621 | £3,385 |
| L2 | £51,061 | £53,104 | £41,358 | £3,446 |
| L3 | £52,310 | £54,403 | £42,111 | £3,509 |
| L4 | £53,584 | £55,728 | £42,880 | £3,573 |
| L5 | £54,893 | £57,089 | £43,669 | £3,639 |
| L6 | £56,241 | £58,491 | £44,482 | £3,707 |
| L7 | £57,728 | £60,038 | £45,379 | £3,782 |
| L8 | £59,036 | £61,398 | £46,168 | £3,847 |
| L9 | £60,483 | £62,903 | £47,041 | £3,920 |
| L10 | £62,009 | £64,490 | £47,962 | £3,997 |
| L11 | £63,591 | £66,135 | £48,916 | £4,076 |
| L12 | £65,033 | £67,635 | £49,786 | £4,149 |
| L13 | £66,634 | £69,300 | £50,751 | £4,229 |
| L14 | £68,267 | £70,998 | £51,736 | £4,311 |
| L15 | £69,940 | £72,738 | £52,745 | £4,395 |
| L16 | £71,771 | £74,642 | £53,850 | £4,487 |
| L17 | £73,395 | £76,331 | £54,829 | £4,569 |
| L18 | £75,214 | £78,223 | £55,927 | £4,661 |
| L19 | £77,053 | £80,136 | £57,036 | £4,753 |
| L20 | £78,938 | £82,096 | £58,173 | £4,848 |
| L21 | £80,864 | £84,099 | £59,335 | £4,945 |
| L22 | £82,846 | £86,160 | £60,530 | £5,044 |
| L23 | £84,874 | £88,269 | £61,753 | £5,146 |
| L24 | £86,949 | £90,427 | £63,005 | £5,250 |
| L25 | £89,084 | £92,648 | £64,293 | £5,358 |
| L26 | £91,262 | £94,913 | £65,607 | £5,467 |
| L27 | £93,498 | £97,238 | £66,955 | £5,580 |
| L28 | £95,790 | £99,622 | £68,338 | £5,695 |
| L29 | £98,138 | £102,064 | £69,342 | £5,778 |
| L30 | £100,551 | £104,574 | £70,296 | £5,858 |
| L31 | £103,012 | £107,133 | £71,268 | £5,939 |
| L32 | £105,546 | £109,768 | £72,269 | £6,022 |
| L33 | £108,141 | £112,467 | £73,295 | £6,108 |
| L34 | £110,789 | £115,221 | £74,341 | £6,195 |
| L35 | £113,517 | £118,058 | £75,419 | £6,285 |
| L36 | £116,301 | £120,954 | £76,520 | £6,377 |
| L37 | £119,167 | £123,934 | £77,652 | £6,471 |
| L38 | £122,087 | £126,971 | £79,081 | £6,590 |
| L39 | £125,038 | £130,040 | £80,708 | £6,726 |
| L40 | £128,133 | £133,259 | £82,414 | £6,868 |
| L41 | £131,306 | £136,559 | £84,163 | £7,014 |
| L42 | £134,568 | £139,951 | £85,960 | £7,163 |
| L43 | £137,905 | £143,422 | £87,800 | £7,317 |
The top of the scale, £143,422, is above the £125,140 additional-rate threshold, and everything from £100,000 up runs through the personal-allowance taper — see the £100k tax trap for why the marginal rate in that band is 62%.
Teaching, Recruitment and Special Needs Allowances
Allowances are paid on top of the scale point and rose by the same 4% in the settlement:
| Allowance | From 1 Sep 2024 | From 1 Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Allowance 1 | £2,408 | £2,505 |
| Teaching Allowance 2 | £4,863 | £5,058 |
| Teaching Allowance 3 | £8,348 | £8,682 |
| Teaching Allowance 4 | £11,497 | £11,957 |
| Teaching Allowance 5 | £15,514 | £16,135 |
| Recruitment & Retention 1 | £1,564 | £1,627 |
| Recruitment & Retention 2 | £3,067 | £3,190 |
| Special Needs 1 | £2,612 | £2,717 |
| Special Needs 2 | £5,155 | £5,362 |
A Teaching Allowance 5 adds £16,135 to salary. On top of M6 that takes gross from £43,830 to £59,965 and monthly take-home from £2,923 to £3,778.
Northern Ireland vs England: The Same Points, Lower Numbers
Northern Ireland uses England's point names — a main scale to M6, then UPS1–UPS3, then L1–L43 — but the values are set separately and are lower at every point. NI's scale in force (September 2025) against England's confirmed 2026/27 scale (from September 2026):
| Northern Ireland | England | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom of the main scale | £32,916 | £34,068 | −1,152 |
| Top of the main scale | £43,830 | £46,939 | −3,109 |
| Bottom of the upper scale | £47,390 | £49,134 | −1,744 |
| Top of the upper scale | £50,876 | £52,835 | −1,959 |
| Top of the leadership scale | £143,422 | £143,796 | −374 |
Part of each gap is timing — England's column includes its September 2026 award while NI is still on its September 2025 scale — and part is the level itself. For the English figures in full see teacher pay scales 2026/27; Wales and Scotland run their own scales too.
The Northern Ireland Teachers' Pension
Teachers in Northern Ireland are members of the Northern Ireland Teachers' Pension Scheme, administered by the Department of Education — a separate scheme from the England & Wales Teachers' Pension Scheme, with tiered member contributions based on pay. The take-home columns on this page are before the pension deduction; use the calculator to run any point with your contribution tier included.
Northern Ireland Teacher Pay FAQs
What are the teacher pay scales in Northern Ireland?
The scale in force from 1 September 2025: the main scale runs from £32,916 at M2 to £43,830 at M6, the upper pay scale from £47,390 to £50,876, and leadership from £51,834 to £143,422. These follow the 4% settlement accepted in January 2026.
Is there a 2026/27 teacher pay award for Northern Ireland?
Not yet, as at August 2026. The most recent settlement is the 2025/26 award (4% from 1 September 2025, accepted 13 January 2026). NI settlements have repeatedly been agreed months into the year and backdated, so the September 2025 scale remains payable until a 2026/27 deal is done.
What is the starting salary for a teacher in Northern Ireland?
£32,916 on M2 — the published NI scale starts at M2, with no M1 point. After income tax and National Insurance that is about £2,268 a month, before pension.
Do teachers in Northern Ireland earn less than in England?
At every published point, yes. NI's M2 starting salary is £32,916 against England's M1 of £34,068, and NI's UPS3 is £50,876 against England's £52,835. Part of the gap is timing — England's 2026/27 award is in force while NI is still on its September 2025 scale.
How much does a teacher in Northern Ireland take home after tax?
At the bottom of the scale, £32,916 gross is £27,219 a year or £2,268 a month after income tax and National Insurance. At the top of the upper scale, £50,876 is £3,339 a month. Both are before the pension contribution.
Do Northern Ireland teachers pay different income tax?
No. Income tax is not devolved to Northern Ireland, so NI teachers pay exactly the same income tax and National Insurance as teachers in England. This is unlike Scotland, where six Scottish bands genuinely change the take-home figure.
What is the highest teacher salary in Northern Ireland?
L43, the top of the leadership scale: £143,422 from 1 September 2025. That is above the £125,140 additional-rate threshold, so it takes home about £7,317 a month.
Related Pages
More on teacher pay and what it is worth after tax:
- Teacher Pay Scales 2026/27 (England) — the STRB scale, M1 to UPS3 plus leadership
- Teacher Pay Scales Wales — the separate Welsh scale, point by point
- Teacher Pay Scales Scotland — the SNCT scale, after Scottish tax
- Teaching Salaries UK — how teaching compares to other careers
- Teacher Salary UK — the profession page, with career progression
- Take Home Pay Calculator — run any NI scale point, with pension and student loan
Check your exact take home pay
Run any scale point through the calculator, with pension and student loan.
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