Schools develop their own pay scales to attract and retain teachers that have the greatest impact on their pupils’ learning.
What you’re paid will be linked to performance, not length of service - meaning your salary can increase as you go through your career.
Qualified teachers
Starting salaries in a primary or secondary school will be between £25,714 and £32,157 depending on where you teach.
As you progress in your teaching career, it’s possible to move up through these pay scales:
| Area | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Inner London | £32,157 | £50,953 |
| Outer London | £29,915 | £45,766 |
| London fringe | £26,948 | £42,780 |
| The rest of England and Wales | £25,714 | £41,604 |
In 2020/21, the average salary for a primary school teacher was £36,900. The average salary for a secondary school teacher was £39,900.
Holidays
You’ll get more days than people in many other professions. Full-time teachers work for 195 days per year in school.
Early career teacher (ECT) benefits
All teachers are given extra support during their first 2 years in teaching. During this time, teachers are called ‘early career teachers’ (ECTs). It is based on the early career framework
The support package includes:
- funded 5% time off timetable in the second year of teaching, in addition to the existing 10% in the first year
- a range of high-quality, freely available curricula and teacher training materials underpinned by the early career framework
- funded training for mentors of early career teachers
- funded time for mentors to support early career teachers
This extra support used to last 1 year, and teachers would be called ‘newly qualified teachers’ (NQTs).
Get a salary uplift for taking on extra responsibilities
You may be able to get ‘teaching and learning responsibility’ (TLR) payments if you take on extra responsibilities such as:
- progressing the education of people beyond your assigned pupils
- leading, developing and enhancing the teaching practice of others
TLR payments come in 2 main pay ranges (TLR 1 and TLR 2) depending on your teaching responsibilities. For example, the higher payment involves taking on line management responsibilities.
| Level | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| TLR 1 | £8,291 | £14,030 |
| TLR 2 | £2,873 | £7,017 |
Teachers’ Pension Scheme
The Teachers’ Pension Scheme gives you a regular source of income when you retire. It is:
- based on your teaching salary and service rather than investments
- 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
Find out more about the Teachers’ Pension Scheme
Career progression
Leading practitioners
A ‘leading practitioner’ is an excellent and highly skilled teacher who consistently demonstrates the highest standards of classroom practice.
They share their skills and experience through the coaching, mentoring and induction of teachers, including trainees and early career teachers (ECTs).
The pay scale for leading practitioners is between £42,402 and £72,480 depending on where you teach.
| Area | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Inner London | £50,415 | £72,480 |
| Outer London | £45,766 | £67,828 |
| London fringe | £43,570 | £65,631 |
| The rest of England and Wales | £42,402 | £64,461 |
Headteachers
Headteachers lead, motivate and manage staff.
The pay scale for a headteacher is between £47,735 to £125,098 depending on where you teach.
| Area | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Inner London | £55,715 | £125,098 |
| Outer London | £51,082 | £120,513 |
| London fringe | £48,901 | £118,356 |
| The rest of England and Wales | £47,735 | £117,197 |
In 2020/21, the average salary for a headteacher was £73,500.
Other leadership team positions
Headteachers work with other leadership teachers.
The average salary for leadership teachers (excluding headteachers) in 2019 was £54,911.
Unqualified teachers
An unqualified teacher’s salary can be between £18,169 and £33,410 depending on where you teach and your level of experience.
| Area | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Inner London | £22,849 | £33,410 |
| Outer London | £21,582 | £32,151 |
| London fringe | £19,363 | £29,924 |
| The rest of England and Wales | £18,169 | £28,735 |