Teacher pay

If you’re a primary or secondary teacher in England, your salary will depend on the type of school you work in, where the school is, and the pay range you’re on.

The pay ranges below apply to maintained schools (schools funded by local authorities).

Non-maintained schools (for example, academies, independent schools and private schools) can set their own pay, but often follow these pay ranges.

Figures apply from 1 September 2024.

Primary and secondary teacher salary

If you have qualified teacher status (QTS), you’ll get a minimum starting salary of £31,650 (or more in London) as a primary or secondary school teacher in England.

Your salary will be reviewed every year, with most teachers moving up the pay range annually. This will depend on your school’s performance management arrangements.

A typical teacher could earn at least £43,607 (or more in London) after 5 years.

Qualified teacher salary

Area Minimum Maximum
England (excluding London) £31,650 £49,084
London fringe £33,075 £50,471
Outer London £36,413 £53,994
Inner London £38,766 £60,092

Additional payments

You may also receive additional payments on top of your regular salary for taking on extra responsibilities.

You could get a one-off payment for a specific project, for example, creating a timetable, or for taking on extra responsibility attached to your job role, for example, being the head of department.

These additional payments are called teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments.

Depending on your responsibilities, you could earn up to an extra £16,553. Your school will determine how much you receive.

Teachers who take on a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) role may also receive additional payments. These are known as SEN allowances.

Career progression

Leading practitioner salary

Some schools also have a leading practitioner pay range for teachers with exemplary teaching skills who lead the improvement of teaching in their school.

What this will involve will depend on your school, but could include:

Area Minimum Maximum
England (excluding London) £50,025 £76,050
London fringe £51,403 £77,430
Outer London £53,994 £80,022
Inner London £59,478 £85,509

Headteacher salary

You could also go into a leadership position, such as a headteacher or assistant headteacher.

A headteacher is the most senior person in a school. They are ultimately responsible for all teachers and pupils.

Their role is wide-ranging, but includes leading and motivating teachers, and ensuring all pupils get a good education. The salary of a headteacher reflects this responsibility and can vary depending on the size and location of the school.

Area Minimum Maximum
England (excluding London) £56,316 £138,265
London fringe £57,693 £139,632
Outer London £60,266 £142,178
Inner London £65,731 £147,586

Find out more about how to move up the career ladder in teaching.

If you do not have qualified teacher status (QTS)

You need qualified teacher status (QTS) to work in maintained primary, secondary and special schools in England.

If you do not have QTS (for example, if you just have a PGCE), you can work in some schools as an unqualified teacher.

This means you will be on a lower pay range and will not be entitled to the same benefits as a teacher with QTS.

If you’re already working as an unqualified teacher and have the right experience, you could be eligible for the assessment only route to qualified teacher status (QTS).

Or find out how you can earn an unqualified teacher salary while training to get QTS on a salaried teacher training course.

Unqualified teacher salary

Area Minimum Maximum
England (excluding London) £21,731 £33,902
London fringe £23,140 £35,305
Outer London £25,758 £37,932
Inner London £27,252 £39,417

Teachers’ pension scheme

One of the great benefits of a teaching career is a secure pension with employer contributions of 28.6%.

It is a ‘defined benefit’ pension and is:

  • based on your teaching salary rather than the amount of money you pay in
  • registered with HM Revenue and Customs - so your contributions are tax-free
  • flexible and allows you to take some of it as a tax-free lump sum

You also get other insurance benefits too. Find out more about the teachers’ pension scheme.

Other benefits of teaching

In additional to the practical rewards of teaching, there’s personal benefits too. Teaching is a career that allows you to make a difference, explore your creativity, and apply skills from your degree or previous career.

Explore why people choose to become a teacher.

Find out more about teaching

Explore more benefits of teaching, and learn what it's really like to be in the classroom.

Get tailored advice in your inbox