Headteacher: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Head teachers and principals (SOC 2321)
About £52,961 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +1.2% on last year
£6,093 a month About £4,413 a month after tax 49 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 £66,054 in 2021 to £73,110 in 2026 (+11%); 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 | £47,604 | £58,761 | £66,054 | £73,603 | x |
| 2022 | £47,738 | £56,172 | £66,376 | £74,372 | x |
| 2023 | £43,553 | £54,036 | £65,677 | £76,718 | x |
| 2024 | £49,941 | £58,990 | £71,008 | £81,956 | x |
| 2025 | £47,252 | £59,489 | £72,273 | £83,965 | x |
| 2026 | £52,886 | £61,538 | £73,110 | £88,719 | x |
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 £73,110 a year and half earn more. That is 79% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £61,538 and £88,719; one in ten earns less than £52,886.
Ranked by median, it is number 11 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £4,413 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £4,246 in Scotland.
The median for men is £77,277 and for women £70,625, a gap of 9% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £52,886 | £4,407 |
| 20th | £58,756 | £4,896 |
| 25th (P25) | £61,538 | £5,128 |
| 30th | £64,036 | £5,336 |
| 40th | £69,596 | £5,800 |
| Median (50th) | £73,110 | £6,093 |
| 60th | £77,141 | £6,428 |
| 70th | £85,514 | £7,126 |
| 75th (P75) | £88,719 | £7,393 |
| 80th | £92,327 | £7,694 |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £77,277 | £84,737 | 23 |
| Women | £70,625 | £73,457 | 26 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £52,961 | £4,413 |
| Scotland | £50,949 | £4,246 |
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 £73,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 9 job titles to SOC 2321 Head teachers and principals. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Head
- Head master
- Head mistress
- Head of school
- Head teacher
- Headteacher
- President
- Principal
- Rector
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.