Teacher pay · UK · effective 1 September 2025
Teacher pay, take-home & pension
How much does a teacher take home?
Teacher pay starts at £32,916 (M1 (start)), giving a take-home of about £2,122 a month after income tax, National Insurance and the Teachers’ Pension Scheme contribution. Choose a rank and point below to see your own figure.
Verified 12 August 2026
Your pay & take-home
Pick your rank and pay point. We apply the Teachers’ Pension Scheme contribution, income tax and National Insurance.
Main pay range (Rest of England) take-home, broken down
Where the money goes at M1 (start) (£32,916), using the Teachers’ Pension Scheme rate and 2025/26 income tax and National Insurance:
Your employer also contributes around 29% (£9,480) into your pension on top — part of what makes public-sector pensions so valuable.
The pension tier cliff
The Teachers’ Pension Scheme charges its contribution on your whole pensionable pay, not just the part above each threshold — so a pay rise that nudges you into a higher tier applies the higher rate to everything. It's still a very valuable scheme, but the boundary is worth knowing about when a rise or new responsibility payment is on the table.
Nations
These are England scales (STPCD). Wales sets its own very similar scale; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate pay structures negotiated locally.
Information, not financial advice. England main and upper pay ranges, STPCD 2025 (4% award, effective 1 September 2025); advisory NEU/NASUWT points used by most schools. Teachers’ Pension Scheme tiered contribution rates. Verified 12 August 2026. How we calculate.