Teacher helping a child with their reading.

Salaries and benefits

For helping to shape the next generation, you’re entitled to a competitive salary, generous holidays, and a substantial pension.

Figures are for the 2022/23 academic year.

Primary and secondary teaching salaries

All qualified primary and secondary teachers will have a starting salary of at least £28,000. This will be higher for teachers working in London.

Qualified teacher salary

Your school will have their own pay scales for qualified teachers. Pay increases will always be linked to performance, not length of service, and will be reviewed every year.

The teacher pay scales for qualified teachers are:

Area Minimum Maximum
England (excluding London) £28,000 £38,810
London fringe £29,344 £40,083
Outer London £32,407 £43,193
Inner London £34,502 £44,756

Most established teachers will earn more than this maximum by progressing onto the upper pay range for teachers, or by becoming a leading practitioner.

If you’re not sure whether you’ll be teaching in inner, outer or the fringe of London, talk to your school.

Upper pay range for teachers

If you can demonstrate excellence against all of the teacher standards, you can be put onto the upper pay range for teachers.

This is for teachers who make a sustained and substantial contribution to their school.

The upper pay ranges for teachers are:

Area Minimum Maximum
England (excluding London) £40,625 £43,685
London fringe £41,858 £44,919
Outer London £44,687 £48,055
Inner London £49,320 £53,482

Leading practitioner salaries

If you’re an established and exceptional teacher, and regularly show the highest standards of classroom teaching, you can be put onto a higher pay scale.

Although they may not lead departments, leading practitioners coach and mentor other teachers and induct trainees and early career teachers (ECTs).

The teacher pay scales for leading practitioners are:

Area Minimum Maximum
England (excluding London) £44,523 £67,685
London fringe £45,749 £68,913
Outer London £48,055 £71,220
Inner London £52,936 £76,104

Headteacher salaries

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 ranges for headteachers are:

Area Minimum Maximum
England (excluding London) £50,122 £123,057
London fringe £51,347 £124,274
Outer London £53,637 £126,539
Inner London £58,501 £131,353

Other payments

You might also get extra payments for taking on extra responsibilities.

These payments are called ‘teaching and learning responsibility’ (TLR) payments. The extra responsibilities you might take on are:

  • 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
Level Minimum Maximum
TLR 1 £8,706 £14,732
TLR 2 £3,017 £7,368

Unqualified teacher salaries

Many schools in England require teachers to have ‘qualified teacher status’ (QTS). If you do not have this, you can work in some schools as an unqualified teacher.

The unqualified teacher salary ranges are:

Area Minimum Maximum
England (excluding London) £19,340 £30,172
London fringe £20,594 £31,421
Outer London £22,924 £33,759
Inner London £24,254 £35,081

Holidays

You’ll get more days holiday than people in many other professions. In school, full-time teachers work 195 days per year.

For comparison, you’d work 227 days per year (on average) if you worked full time in an office.

Teachers’ pension scheme

The teachers’ pension scheme is one of the most generous in the country. 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.

Support for early career teachers

All teachers are given extra support during their first 2 years in teaching called ECF-based training. This helps early career teachers (ECTs) develop their knowledge, teaching skills and working habits.

This support includes:

The term early career teacher (ECT) replaced newly qualified teacher (NQT).

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