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
As a newly qualified teacher (NQT) in a primary or secondary school your salary 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 |
Holidays
You’ll get more days than people in many other professions. Full-time teachers work for 195 days per year in school.
Newly qualified teacher (NQT) benefits
A 2-year package to support teachers at the start of their career, based on the early career framework, launches nationally in September 2021.
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 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
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 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 newly qualified teachers (NQTs).
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 |
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 |
