Teacher Pay Scales 2026–2027: Full UK Salary Guide

Every September, the teacher pay scales shift. And every September, teachers are left doing some number-crunching - checking this year's payslip against last year's.

It's not made any easier by the fact that England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all set pay independently, with different regional weightings on top. 

We've built this guide using the confirmed 2026/27 figures, sourced directly from the National Education Union (opens in a new tab) and the relevant government pay bodies. 

If you're checking your own payslip, working out whether to apply for the upper pay range, or budgeting for the year ahead, here's where you sit on the 2026/27 scales.

Key Takeaways

• The government confirmed a 3.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in England for 2026/27, effective 1 September 2026.

• Main Pay Scale (MPS) now runs from £34,069 (M1) to £46,940 (M6); Upper Pay Scale (UPS) runs from £49,134 (U1) to £52,835 (U3), all outside London.

• Schools are only partly funded for this award - the NEU estimates schools must find roughly £460 million from existing budgets to cover their share.

What's Changed for 2026/27

On 1 July 2026, the Education Secretary accepted the School Teachers Review Body’s (STRB's) recommendations (opens in a new tab) in full: a 3.5% pay increase for all teachers and leaders in England, backdated to 1 September 2026, with a further 3% pencilled in for September 2027.

This follows a 4% award for 2025/26. It's a smaller uplift than teachers received the year before, and it isn't fully funded centrally. Schools are expected to cover part of the cost from existing budgets, which the NEU estimates at around £460 million across the system (opens in a new tab).

There is one exception: teachers on the bottom of the unqualified teacher scale get a 5% rise rather than 3.5%, as part of a push to lift starting pay at the entry point of that scale.

Main Pay Scale and Upper Pay Scale, 2026/27

The Main Pay Scale (MPS) runs from M1 to M6 and covers most teachers in their first six years in the classroom. Progression isn't automatic. It depends on your school's pay policy and performance management outcomes, though most teachers move up one point a year.

The Upper Pay Scale (UPS) is for teachers who can prove their competence in meeting the relevant standards and can demonstrate substantial and sustained contributions to the education setting. It runs from U1 to U3.

England excluding London and the London Fringe

London Fringe

Outer London

Inner London

Full point-by-point figures for every London band are available on the (opens in a new tab)NEU pay scales page (opens in a new tab). 

An M1 teacher in Inner London earns over £7,600 more than an M1 teacher outside London - a gap worth factoring in if you're weighing up relocating.

Leading Practitioner Range

The leading practitioner range applies to specialist teachers who lead teaching practice without moving into formal school leadership.

Leadership Pay Range

Leadership pay covers headteachers, deputy heads and assistant heads, running across 43 points (L1–L43). The pay scale varies by region:

• Rest of England: £53,586 - £148,829

• London Fringe: £55,060 - £150,301

• Outer London: £57,837 - £153,042

• Inner London: £63,709 - £158,863

England excluding London

TLR Payments and SEN Allowances

Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments reward staff who take on sustained extra responsibility. This could be: 

• Leading a department

• Coordinating a key stage 

• Completing a fixed-term project requiring more of your time

SEN allowances go to classroom teachers working with pupils who have special educational needs.

These are added on top of your base salary point and taxed as normal, so a TLR can push part of your income into a higher tax or National Insurance band.

Unqualified Teacher Pay Range

Teachers without qualified teacher status (QTS) sit on a separate six-point scale. The pay ranges by region are:

• Rest of England: £23,732 - £36,494

• London Fringe: £24,909 - £38,004

• Outer London: £27,727 - £40,831

• Inner London: £29,336 - £42,429

Wales

Wales sets pay independently through the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB). For 2026/27, the IWPRB recommended a 4.25% increase (opens in a new tab), but the Cabinet Secretary for Education said this wasn't affordable within current budgets. 

The Welsh Government is consulting on a 3.5% award for teachers and leaders, plus a higher 5% increase for unqualified teachers, with a decision expected once schools return in September 2026.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland and Northern Ireland run entirely separate pay negotiations, agreed with their own teaching unions rather than through the STRB. 

If you teach in either nation, the England and Wales figures above won't apply to you directly - check the EIS pay scales (opens in a new tab) for Scotland or the relevant Northern Ireland teaching union for the current position.

How Teacher Pay Progression Works

Progression through the Main Pay Scale isn't guaranteed by law. It depends on your school's own pay policy and your performance management outcomes, though in practice most teachers move up one point each year. 

Moving from the main scale to the upper pay range requires a formal application, evidence of sustained and substantial contribution, and headteacher approval. It isn't automatic once you reach M6.

Academies and free schools can technically set their own pay structures, since they sit outside local authority control, but the large majority still follow the national STPCD framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average teacher salary in the UK for 2026/27? 

There's no single UK-wide average, since England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all set pay separately. For a classroom teacher in England outside London, salaries for 2026/27 range from £34,069 (M1) to £52,835 (U3), depending on experience and progression.

Do academies follow the same pay scales?

Academies aren’t legally bound by the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document, though many choose to adopt it through their own pay policies or employment contracts.

TUPE regulations (opens in a new tab) (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) may apply to staff who transferred from maintained schools, protecting their existing pay terms.

Always check an academy's pay policy before accepting a position, as some operate their own structures. Many academies follow national pay scales for consistency and fairness, but they have the flexibility to set their own arrangements.

When does the 2026/27 pay rise take effect? 

The 3.5% increase for England is effective from 1 September 2026, the start of the new academic year.

Do teachers get paid over the summer holidays? 

Yes. Teacher salaries are annual and paid in equal monthly instalments across 12 months, including the summer break - pay isn't reduced during holiday periods.

Progress with the Support of Save My Exams

Pay scales give you a roadmap for your career. Knowing where you sit now, and what it takes to move up, puts you in a stronger position at appraisal time.

The 2026/27 figures bring a 3.5% rise, but region, TLRs and SEN allowances can move your real earnings beyond the base salary. 

It’s worth checking your school's pay policy regularly, especially if UPS or leadership is on your radar. And always keep a record of your impact in the classroom to back up that case when the time comes.

Your impact is what pay progression rewards, and it's built lesson by lesson. Save My Exams tools like revision notes take the planning pressure off, while mock exams and Test Builder make assessment straightforward and help you understand where each student stands. 

Together, they help you monitor progress and show it. This is the kind of evidence that speaks for itself at appraisal time.

Explore how Save My Exams could work in your classroom.

References

NEU - Payscales (opens in a new tab)

STRB - Thirty-Sixth Report (opens in a new tab)

NEU - Save education: fully-fund teacher pay rises (opens in a new tab)

IWPRB - Seventh Report 2026 (opens in a new tab)

EIS - Payscales (opens in a new tab)

ACAS - Tupe Transfers (opens in a new tab)