In the UK, average teacher salaries vary. Discover how much you might be entitled to as a teacher by learning about various pay scales before you enter the teaching field.
How much teachers are paid is a complicated subject with no simple answer. Within schools, there are many distinct teaching positions with a range of pay, including teaching assistants, early childhood educators, and substitute teachers, to mention a few.
Your pay package will also be influenced by your location. Comparable teachers throughout the rest of the UK earn up to £5,000 less per year than those in London.
Average teacher salary in UK
In the UK, the average teacher’s pay ranges from 22,500 to as much as 34,000 pounds. This is a very lucrative career that will continue to grow in popularity over time. In the upcoming years, we should anticipate an increase in teacher pay.
In The UK, Teachers Make An Average Income Of £40,000.
The precise amount you will take home can vary depending on a variety of circumstances. We advise you to read the information below for more information on average teacher salaries in order to determine your own compensation.
Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) Salary
As an NQT, you will begin at the bottom of the main pay scale for classroom teachers in England and Wales, which ranges from £28,000 to £34,502 depending on region (higher pay rates are instated in London and its fringes).
A probationer, who, unlike an NQT, is first employed on a probationary contract, is the Scottish equivalent of an NQT. The wage for a probationer right now is £27,498. The base pay scale’s minimum wage in Northern Ireland is £24,137.
As your abilities and performance in the classroom progress, there is potential for frequent wage increases. Learn more about the life of a secondary school teacher and what it’s like to teach at a primary school.
Qualified Teacher Salary
After beginning at the NQT/probationary starting point, teachers have been promoted up the scales in accordance with great performance. The pay scales for qualified teachers are divided into main and higher pay categories. From the base rate to the greatest upper rate, these ranges vary across the UK’s nations:
- Wales and England (outside of London): £28,000 to £38,810
- London – fringes: £29.344 to £40.083, outer: £32.407 to £43.193, and middle: £34.502 to £44.756 (inner)
- From £33,729 to £42,336 in Scotland
- From £24,137 to £41,094 in Northern Ireland.
Applying for Lead Practitioner Accreditation is open to educators who show a command of the classroom and established experience. Lead practitioners receive significantly higher compensation than regular classroom teachers.
Inexperienced Or Unqualified Teacher’s Salary
A person who has not yet earned Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) through the recognized avenues of postgraduate study, School Direct, or Teach First is an unqualified teacher. Learn more about the various entry points into teaching.
Read also: What Education Is Needed To Become A Teacher
The government’s School Instructors’ Review Body oversees a six-point pay scale that is used to determine how much-unqualified teachers are paid. The academy where a non-qualified teacher works determine where they fall on this scale, with advancement up the scale depending on how well they do.
In England and Wales, the six-point scale ranges from £19,340 to £30,172. London prices range. On these statistics, you can anticipate an increase of approximately £1,000 (fringes) to £5,000 (inner). Unqualified teachers in Northern Ireland can anticipate a salary of £15,358.
Salaries For Supply Teachers
Three pay rates for substitute teachers are available in England and Wales, representing various levels of qualification and teaching qualities. Which are:
- Unemployed: £18,169 to £28,735
- primary – from £25,714 to £36,961
- Higher – from £38,690 to £41,604.
Many supply teachers are paid on a daily rate, which is determined on a pro-rata basis by dividing the yearly income of their bracket by 195 because employment isn’t assured for the entire year (the number of days a teacher is required in school per year).
Greater pay is to be expected for supply instructors working in London, with inner-city jobs paying up to £50,935 annually. While Northern Irish substitute teachers are paid on a points-based pay system comparable to England and Wales, the pay rates for Scottish supply instructors vary according to the length of service.
Head Teacher Salary
Headteachers in the UK receive the highest teaching salaries:
- Wales and England (outside of London) – £50,122 to £123,057
- From £51,347 to £131,353 in London
- From £52,350 to £99,609 in Scotland
- From £47,381 to £117,497 in Northern Ireland.
Public schools determine their own wage scales. Pay is distributed by age and the number of students enrolled in state schools.
Teachers’ Pay Scales
A national mechanism for establishing a teacher’s pay is called a pay scale. There are individual pay scales for unqualified teachers, teaching assistants, and headteachers, among other roles, in addition to the main scale, which describes the compensation of qualified classroom instructors.
You will be paid at the lowest level of the pay scale when you begin a teaching position. As a result of appraisal results and satisfying teaching criteria set by schools, opportunities for wage increases will become available. In Scotland, however, the only consideration is the number of years of service.
Private schools are not required to pay their teachers according to these federal pay ranges and are therefore free to do so.
Although very few private institutions make their pay scales publicly available, private school teachers can anticipate a pay scale that is comparable to the state school system if they are under the care of a group like the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) or the Headmaster and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC).
Additional Payments And Compensation
Many instructors receive supplementary compensation in addition to their base income, including:
- Special education needs (SEN) allowance, which can be worth between £2,384 and £4,703 annually for trained teachers of SEN students.
- Teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments, which range from £2,873 to £14,030 year and are given for taking on additional tasks within the profession.
Automatic enrollment in the Teacher’s Pension Scheme and lengthy vacation times are additional benefits. Despite having a 195-day work year, teachers still have work to accomplish over the holidays.
Assistant Teachers Salary
The precise amount a teaching assistant (TA) makes is up to the local education authority because there is no national pay scale for TAs (LEA). As a result, the pay for two TAs working in the same region may vary based on the demands of their individual positions.
Starting salaries for level one teaching assistants should be in the range of £15,000 to £21,000, with levels two and three paying up to £21,000. Earnings for Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA), a promotion that involves obtaining an HLTA credential, range from £21,000 to $25,000.
Early Years Teachers Salary (EYT)
Starting pay ranges from £16,000 to £18,000, but with experience and more understanding, this could go to £46,000 or higher. Some management responsibilities will be included in top remuneration.
The field is renowned for its low pay relative to other occupations, yet it is understood across the sector that while early childhood educators deserve more pay, it cannot be achieved without more financing.
Early childhood education is a pleasant career, regardless of pay.
Further Education Teacher Salary
Further education institutions are free to determine their own pay scales, and many do. In England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, the University and College Union (UCU) recommend pay scales; in Scotland, the Educational Institute of Scotland does so.
Typically, figures are chosen based on variables like prior teaching experience, geography, and subject demand.
The average salary for a further education teacher is between £19,000 and £23,000 for those who are not trained, rising to £24,000 for those who are. Afterward, as you gain experience, you’ll move up the wage scale, with typical incomes at advanced levels lying between £38,000 and £43,000.
How Could Teachers Increase Their Salaries to Earn More Money?
There are several strategies to raise your teacher’s salary. Employer switch: Take into account a career change to a different company that will pay more for your skills.
Education Level: This position may be able to earn more money and be promoted if they obtain advanced degrees. Experience in management: If you are a teacher who supervises less experienced teachers, this experience may boost your chances of earning more money.
Summary
That has been it on the average teacher salary UK. To appropriately assist you, we discuss a variety of topics, including the salaries of newly qualified teachers, qualified teachers’ salaries, and unqualified teachers’ salaries. Consider sharing what you read with others if you enjoyed it.
Recommended read: Continuing Education Courses for Teachers
