In these shaky economic times, potential earnings are everyone's top concern, not just teachers. Still, for educators wrapping up the current academic year, and those just starting their careers, the money question is paramount. Years of low pay don't balance against increased workloads and dwindling support. This table shows whether this year will boost teachers' bank balances into the next academic year.
| ✅Determining factor | 💸2023-24 pay level/range | 💰2024-25 pay level/range |
|---|---|---|
| Inside London | £36 745 - £56 959 | £38 766 - £60 092 |
| Outer London | £24 415 - £35 954 | £36 766 - £48 531 |
| Outskirts of London | £21 933 - £33 464 | £33 074 - £45 037 |
| Across England | £30 000 - £46 525 | £31 650 - £49 084 |
| Head Teachers | £53 380 - £131 056 | £56 316 - £138 265 |
| Lead practitioners | £47 417 - £72 085 | £50 025 - £76 050 |
| Unqualified teachers | £20 598 - £32 134 | £21 731 - £33 902 |
| Main pay range | £30 000 - £41 000 | £31,650 - £43 607 |
| Upper pay range | £43 266 - £46 525 | £45 646 - £49 084 |
| Special Educational Needs (SEN) allowances | £2 539 - £5 009 | £2 679 - £5 284 |
| Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) Fixed term | £639 - £3 169 | £675 - £3 344 |
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Teacher Pay Scale Explained
Before we go any further with this guide, it's important that we're all on the same page about what teacher pay scales actually are.
Essentially they are structures consisting of pay levels. These levels are designed to guarantee that educators are fairly compensated according to their their performance, within the relevant category according to their responsibilities.
These categories, which are ordered by their maximum potential pay (lowest to highest), are as follows:
Unqualified pay scale
for teachers who have not yet achieved their formal qualification
Main pay scale
for all qualified teachers, comprises 6 levels
Upper pay scale
for top-performing educators, comprises 3 levels
These pay scales are where most of our teachers earn. Above them, we find two higher levels of pay, to compensate for added responsibilities.
Only available to educators who train and coach other teachers.
Available at select schools.
The most senior position in a school.
The highest pay scale with the greatest increase potential.
The aim of these salary structures is to create an equitable framework for setting teacher salaries in educational settings.
How Do Teacher Pay Scales Work?
Educators lacking Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) earn lower wages than those with those credentials. These teachers advance through six ranks of pay - one per year if conditions are met. These step approach gives them time to gain teaching experience on their way to QTS.
1. By obtaining qualifications.
2. By meeting/exceeding schools' performance criteria.
3. By applying for a higher pay range.
4. By taking on added responsibilities.
Qualified teachers start at the lowest level of the Main Pay Range (MPR). They may move up the pay scale each year, provided they meet all their school's criteria for an increase. Theoretically, a teacher may reach the top of the MPR scale in six years.
To continue earning pay hikes, they must apply for their place on the Upper Pay Range (UPR). These applicants must demonstrate consistent excellence in teaching, as well as other contributions to advance the school.
How Pay Scales Are Determined
As outlined in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions (STPCD), maintained schools and local authorities must follow the established pay structures. Any deviation from these standards must be supported by a rationale.
Setting pay scales involves a process facilitated by the School Teachers Review Body (STRB).
The STRB provides recommendations to the Secretary of State for Education and the Prime Minister. They take into account factors like conditions, school workforce statistics, and input from entities such as the Department for Education and teaching unions.
Variations Between School Types
Maintained schools must adhere to the pay scales. Non-maintained schools, like academies, independent schools, public schools and private schools, have the flexibility to establish their pay scales.
Note that numerous academies and independent schools opt to align with the pay scales as a guide when structuring their pay systems.
The Unqualified Teacher Pay Scale
These teachers might still be finding their feet in the career, and may be unsure where they stand on the pay scale. This chart shows the pay scale for unqualified teachers in England.
| 🧗♀️Level | 📅2023/24 England | 📆2024/25 England | 📆2024/25 London Fringe | 📆2024/25 Outer London | 📆2024/25 Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | £20 598 | £21 731 | £23 140 | £25 758 | £27 252 |
| L2 | £22 961 | £24 224 | £25 630 | £28 252 | £29 745 |
| L3 | £25 323 | £26 716 | £28 123 | £30 744 | £32 238 |
| L4 | £27 406 | £28 914 | £30 319 | £32 947 | £34 436 |
| L5 | £29 772 | £31 410 | £32 813 | £35 438 | £36 925 |
| L6 | £32 134 | £33 902 | £35 305 | £37 932 | £39 417 |
For those unfamiliar with the current cost of living, it takes about £50,000 for a single person to live comfortably in London, as various sources report. Fortunately, teachers don't have to stay on this salary scheme indefinitely. They will have access to better pay after earning their qualifications.
The Qualified/Main Teacher Pay Scale
Things look a bit better for fully qualified teachers, even when they begin their careers as full-time professionals. Notice, though, that for teachers who aren't performing at a high standard, this salary can remain meagre.
Especially now that most teachers, at this stage of their career, will have moved away from any support structures/networks that they had as a student or trainee.
| 🧗♂️Level | 📅2023/24 England | 📆2024/25 England | 📆2024/25 London Fringe | 📆2024/25 Outer London | 📆2024/25 Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | £30 000 | £31 650 | £33 075 | £36 413 | £38 766 |
| M2 | £31 737 | £33 483 | £34 974 | £38 318 | £40 609 |
| M3 | £33 814 | £35 674 | £37 141 | £40 322 | £42 536 |
| M4 | £36 051 | £38 034 | £39 495 | £42 430 | £44 556 |
| M5 | £38 330 | £40 439 | £41 870 | £45 000 | £47 069 |
| M6 | £41 333 | £43 607 | £45 037 | £48 532 | £50 288 |
Upper Pay Range for Qualified Teachers
This range is the pay for teachers who go above and beyond in their work. At this level, salaries enter the "comfortable living" zone. We can compare the London equivalent salary to the £50,000 earnings standard we talked about before.
If we were closer to a utopia, perhaps this kind of salary would be the average for any hard-working teacher, as opposed to just the upper echelon.
| 🧗♀️Level | ⌛2023/24 England | 📅2024/25 England | 📆2024/25 London Fringe | 📆2024/25 Outer London | 📆2024/25 Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U1 | £43,266 | £45 646 | £47 031 | £50 210 | £55 415 |
| U2 | £44,870 | £47 338 | £48 719 | £52 068 | £58 138 |
| U3 | £46,525 | £49 084 | £50 471 | £53 994 | £60 092 |
Leading Practitioner Pay Range
Additional responsibilities, such as training other teachers, are not the only things that come with more senior positions in a teaching career. Being a leading practitioner also comes with better pay, even at its minimum level on the scale.
This pay scale has a much broader range between minimum and maximum salaries. The scale itself has a whopping 18 points. As with the previous scale, some questions arise when comparing this scale to the previous ones.
Some argue that using a percentage increase only increases income inequality.
Perhaps a better solution would be a flat increase in salaries, such that the difference between positions wouldn't grow so large. Also, government expenditures would be less stretched to accommodate the proportional increases in the senior pay scales.
| ↕Range | ⌛2023/24 England | 📅2024/25 England | 📆2024/25 London Fringe | 📆2024/25 Outer London | 📆2024/25 Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | £47 417 | £50 025 | £51 403 | £53 994 | £59 478 |
| Maximum | £72,085 | £76 050 | £77 430 | £80 022 | £85 509 |
As you can probably tell from the table, the more a teacher was making before the pay increase, the better off they would be afterwards, thanks to the use of a percentage increase.
Leadership Pay Range
Seeing as teaching is one of the most fundamental jobs in society; it might come across as bizarre to some that a three-figure salary is only available on the upper end of the most senior position.
The leadership pay range is the largest and most diverse, with 43 levels. Due to the sheer amount of different pay levels, we've also decided to condense this scale into a range.
| ↕Range | ⌛2023/24 England | 📅2024/25 England | 📆2024/25 London Fringe | 📆2024/25 Outer London | 📆2024/25 Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | £47 185 | £49 781 | £51 151 | £53 731 | £59 186 |
| Maximum | £131 056 | £138 265 | £139 632 | £142 178 | £147 586 |
The higher-end salaries are appealing and might make teaching look lucrative. However, each increase on the teacher pay scale takes a year and requires consistent good performance.
How Much Does a Teacher Get Paid?
In many cases, the base salary teachers receive doesn't tell the full story. In the UK, educators may receive additional payments for taking on extra responsibilities, or working in specific areas of need. These include:
- Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments: Awarded to teachers who take on significant responsibilities beyond standard classroom duties, such as leading curriculum areas or managing a team of staff. TLR payments range from £675 to £3 344 (fixed term) for the 2024-25 academic year.
- Special Educational Needs (SEN) allowances: Teachers who directly support students with special needs are given these allowances, which vary from £2 679 to £5 284 for the academic year 2024-25.
- Recruitment and retention payments: Some schools may offer additional payments to attract and retain teachers in subjects or areas with high demand.
There is always an element of supply and demand when it comes to these additional payments. A school is unlikely to part with retention fees when there are many teachers teaching a respective subject.
Similarly, if a school has too many teachers providing assistance as special needs educators, then this budget is likely to become stretched.
Schools determine the specific amounts and eligibility criteria for additional payments.
They do so based on their policies, budgets, and need.
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Teacher Pension Scheme Contributions
Retirement is another factor to consider when investigating the pay scale of a teacher at your respective level. As a teacher, a portion of your salary goes towards your pension, through the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
The contribution rates are tiered based on your annual salary, ensuring a fair distribution of contributions. Here's how the rates are structured:
| 💷Annual Salary Rate (2023-2024) | 💷Annual salary rate as of April 2024 | 🤨Member Contribution Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £32 135,99 | Up to £34 289,99 | 7.4% |
| £32 136,00 to £43 259,99 | £34 290,00 to £46 158,99 | 8.6% |
| £43 260,00 to £51 292,99 | £46 159,00 to £54 729,99 | 9.6% |
| £51 293,00 to £67 979,99 | £54 730,00 to £72 534,99 | 10.2% |
| £67 980,00 to £92 697,99 | £72 535,00 to £98 908,99 | 11.3% |
| £92 698,00 and above | £98 909,00 and above | 11.7% |
Your retirement fund deductions come straight from your salary before taxes, and the exact sum fluctuates depending on how much you earn each month. If you make money in a given month, your contributions may go up.
It's worth mentioning that your employer chips in for your pension, too. So while at first, it might seem like you have a hole in your wallet by the time your paycheck rolls around at the end of each month, paying into your pension will benefit you in the long run!
Since April 2025, the employer's contribution stands at 28.68%, which includes a 0.08% admin fee.
This generous support from your employer boosts your nest egg significantly for when you retire.
Are things finally looking up?
Many of us are still reeling from the pandemic's economic effects. Teachers might have been fortunate with their role as essential workers.
However, the cost of living crisis in the UK hasn't been easy to stomach. Particularly as this profession is notorious for being one of the most underpaid professions, despite the heavy workload and extreme working hours.
Teachers unions have been well aware of this, and this year, their outcry was finally heard.
It isn't quite the fairytale ending that educators this year might have been hoping for, with campaigners hoping for a double-digit (%) pay rise.
Will Teacher Pay Increase in 2025?
A 2.8 per cent teacher pay rise “would be appropriate” for 2025-26.
Department for Education
As Schools Week reports, teacher unions will likely not be happy with this meagre boost. The government contends that 2.8%, added to heftier pay rises over the past two years, gives teachers an overall 21% pay hike. Furthermore, as of this writing, that proposed pay rise hasn't been approved.
That small percentage barely compensates for the current Consumer Price Index (CPI) rise (2.3%). Seen through that lens, it's easy to understand the unions' outrage. What to do about it?
Teachers Strike Action
Working conditions, compensation matters, and general frustration at the lack of support and response have resulted in nationwide teacher strikes.
The proposed salary increase aims to address teacher strikes by enhancing working conditions and reducing workload.
As we look ahead, to the 2025-26 school year, uncertainties loom over teacher salaries and potential strike actions in the UK.
Organizations like NAHT have called for adjustments in teacher pay by advocating for universal increases in salaries and allowances, starting from September 2024.
With teacher vacancies at their highest level since 2010, and living costs on the rise, there is pressure for pay hikes. The outlook for 2025 heavily depends on how the government responds to these demands for increased pay competitiveness and the restoration of pay value.
With all this talk of a strike, you are likely wondering if any of the strike days will be paid.
The Department of Education has stated that strike days should not be considered as part of the service in the Teachers Pension Scheme. On the Teachers Pensions website, there is guidance on how to mark strike days as "days excluded" to ensure that pension coverage is adjusted accordingly.
Some unions offer payments or hardship funds to assist members during strikes.
These payments do not fully cover the deducted strike pay.
Thanks for reading this article. We hope you learned about the teacher's pay scale for 2024/25. If you're a teacher preparing for the next academic year, check out some of our other articles on teaching here on Superprof.
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Why don’t headteachers at the top of their group , receive the full pay rise? L21 should be the same for all. However if you are a head of a group 2 school it will be less for you by around a £1000. Is this even legal? The 6,5% was supposedly for all teachers. Why are the most experienced leaders being penalised?