As we move into 2024, teacher pay scales have become more important than ever for educators and aspiring teachers. Whether you’re an educator today or a teacher about to start a career, pay will likely occupy your mind.
In this guide, we will look further into the various aspects of teacher salary payment scales, including all you need to know about teacher salary payscales and the average teacher salary for the coming year.
Highlights
- Teacher Payscales & Salaries – Everything You Need to Know
- Main Teacher Payment Scale
- How Much Do Teachers Get Paid?
- Assistant Teacher Pay Rate
- London Vs The Rest of England – Payscales
- Inner Vs Outer London Pay
Teacher Pay Scales & Salaries, All You Need to Know
Trying to navigate teachers’ payscale can be complex, especially with different factors influencing an individual’s earnings. But first, you need to understand what the teacher payscale is. It is a scale designed by the Department of Education that allocates different bands based on position, location and experience to different teachers. Therefore, the main payscale for teachers sets your annual salary as a teaching professional.
The teacher payscale 2023/24 has seen adjustments to accommodate economic changes, making it crucial for educators to stay informed. Additionally, the teacher payscale 2023/24 has been adjusted to ensure that teachers’ salaries are competitive and show appreciation for their vital role in society.
Main Teacher Payment Scale
The majority of qualified teachers fall into this main teacher salary payscale.
England (excl. London) London Fringe
| 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Increase | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Increase | |
| M1 | £28,000 | £30,000 | 7.1% | £29,344 | £31,350 | 6.8% |
| M2 | £29,800 | £31,737 | 6.5% | £31,126 | £33,150 | 6.5% |
| M3 | £31,750 | £33,814 | 6.5% | £33,055 | £35,204 | 6.5% |
| M4 | £33,580 | £36,051 | 6.5% | £35,151 | £37,436 | 6.5% |
| M5 | £35,990 | £38,330 | 6.5% | £37,264 | £39,687 | 6.5% |
| M6 | £38,810 | £41,333 | 6.5% | £40,083 | £42,689 | 6.5% |
| U1 | £40,625 | £43,266 | 6.5% | £41,858 | £44,579 | 6.5% |
| U2 | £42,131 | £44,870 | 6.5% | £43,360 | £46,179 | 6.5% |
| U3 | £43,685 | £46,525 | 6.5% | £44,919 | £47,839 | 6.5% |
How Much Do Teachers Get Paid?
So, what is the average teacher salary in the UK? Well, once you’ve finished your teacher training and have achieved your qualified teacher status (QTS) your average teacher salary will start at at least £30,000. This is the case for primary education teacher salary and the secondary teacher salaries.
When first starting a teaching role, a primary education teacher salary and second teacher salaries start at the lowest point of the scale. And then through appraisal outcomes and meeting teaching standards set by individual schools, the average teacher salary a teacher can expect increases.
It is important to remember that the average teacher salary does not apply to private schools, and they are free to pay their teachers and education staff as much as they’d like.
What is an Assistant Teacher’s Pay Rate?
Unlike for qualified teachers, there is no national assistant teacher payscale in place that determines salaries. As many assistant teachers are employed on a part-time term-only basis, their take-home pay can be a lot less. While there isn’t a classroom assistant payscale, most schools follow the local government payscale for support staff. Generally, a teaching assistant salary will depend on your role, responsibilities and the education setting.
Teacher Payscales in London vs The Rest of England
One of the most significant variances in teacher payscales in England is between London and other regions. The inner London teacher payscale is typically higher than the outer London teacher payscale, reflecting the higher cost of living in the capital. This distinction ensures that teachers working in London can maintain a reasonable standard of living.
Therefore, the primary education teacher salary and secondary teacher salaries in London are adjusted to reflect these regional differences. Teachers in London, whether in inner or outer areas, receive a payscale that acknowledges the unique challenges and expenses associated with living and working in the capital.
Inner London Teacher Payscale Vs Outer London Teacher Payscale
| Outer London | Inner London | |||||
| 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Increase | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Increase | |
| M1 | £32,407 | £34,514 | 6.5% | £34,502 | £36,745 | 6.5% |
| M2 | £34,103 | £36,320 | 6.5% | £36,141 | £38,491 | 6.5% |
| M3 | £35,886 | £38,219 | 6.5% | £37,857 | £40,318 | 6.5% |
| M4 | £37,763 | £40,218 | 6.5% | £39,655 | £42,233 | 6.5% |
| M5 | £40,050 | £42,654 | 6.5% | £41,892 | £44,615 | 6.5% |
| M6 | £43,193 | £46,001 | 6.5% | £44,756 | £47,666 | 6.5% |
| U1 | £44,687 | £47,592 | 6.5% | £49,320 | £52,526 | 6.5% |
| U2 | £46,340 | £49,353 | 6.5% | £51,743 | £55,107 | 6.5% |
| U3 | £48,055 | £51,179 | 6.5% | £53,482 | £56,959 | 6.5% |
Teacher Pay Award
In July 2024, the Education Secretary accepted the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) and confirmed the teacher pay award for 2024-25. This provides school teachers in England can expect to be paid next academic year and means that school teachers and leaders will receive a fully funded 5.5% pay award
The STRB is an independent group that makes recommendations on teacher’s pay in maintained schools in England and reports to the Secretary of State for Education and the Prime Minister. Their recommendations have been fully accepted and a teacher pay award will be given to schools.
Schools will receive almost £1.2 billion in additional funding to cover their costs, fully funding the pay award for teachers and support staff at a national level in the financial year 2024 to 2025. This investment is one of the first steps in the new government’s mission to recruit 6,500 new teachers.
So, are teachers getting a pay rise?
Yes! This 5.5% award means the average classroom teacher’s pay packet will increase by over £2,500. This would take the median salary for 2024/25 to over £49,000 a year.
Now that you’ve got all the information you need regarding teacher pay scales, you can understand the different pay scales that are crucial in navigating your career in education.
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