Primary school teacher: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Primary education teaching professionals (SOC 2314)
About £37,508 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +3.2% on last year
£3,934 a month About £3,126 a month after tax 255 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £37,831 in 2021 to £47,207 in 2026 (+25%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £26,147 | £30,790 | £37,831 | £43,383 | £50,429 |
| 2022 | £25,448 | £31,398 | £38,195 | £44,055 | £50,891 |
| 2023 | £27,108 | £33,797 | £39,996 | £45,445 | £53,679 |
| 2024 | £28,446 | £35,623 | £42,759 | £48,960 | £57,039 |
| 2025 | £30,469 | £37,416 | £45,725 | £51,572 | £60,476 |
| 2026 | £32,012 | £39,451 | £47,207 | £52,932 | £61,869 |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £47,207 a year and half earn more. That is 15% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £39,451 and £52,932; the middle 80% between £32,012 and £61,869.
Ranked by median, it is number 92 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £3,126 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £3,052 in Scotland.
The median for men is £49,607 and for women £46,664, a gap of 6% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £32,012 | £2,668 |
| 20th | £37,369 | £3,114 |
| 25th (P25) | £39,451 | £3,288 |
| 30th | £40,970 | £3,414 |
| 40th | £44,773 | £3,731 |
| Median (50th) | £47,207 | £3,934 |
| 60th | £50,230 | £4,186 |
| 70th | £51,939 | £4,328 |
| 75th (P75) | £52,932 | £4,411 |
| 80th | £54,667 | £4,556 |
| 90th (P90) | £61,869 | £5,156 |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £49,607 | £49,291 | 62 |
| Women | £46,664 | £46,302 | 192 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £37,508 | £3,126 |
| Scotland | £36,627 | £3,052 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £47,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 40 job titles to SOC 2314 Primary education teaching professionals. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Art teacher
- Assistant head
- Assistant head master
- Assistant head mistress
- Assistant head teacher
- Assistant headteacher
- Assistant principal
- Class teacher
- Curriculum leader
- Dance lecturer
- Dance teacher
- Dancing teacher
- Deputy head
- Deputy head master
- Deputy head mistress
- Deputy head teacher
- Deputy headteacher
- Deputy principal
- Director of music
- Drama teacher
- English teacher
- House master
- House mistress
- Infant school teacher
- Infant teacher
- Instructor
- Junior school teacher
- Master
- Mistress
- Monk
- Music teacher
- Nun
- PE teacher
- Preparatory school teacher
- Primary school teacher
- Primary teacher
- School master
- School mistress
- Teacher
- Unqualified teacher
Similar occupations
All jobs in Professional occupations
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.