Teacher pay after tax in England 2026/27
Supply covers teachers employed directly by a school or local authority. Agency supply is outside this calculator. Scotland uses different SNCT structures: TLR, SEN and supply are not modelled. The pay tables show point salary only. The annual tax estimate assumes the standard tax code and no other income.
The table uses the England teacher pay scale from 1 September 2026 in the final School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2026. Outside London and the fringe, a new teacher on M1 earns £34,069 and takes home £2,169.52 a month after tax, National Insurance and the Teachers' Pension.
| Point | Salary | Pension | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main pay range | ||||
| M1 | £34,069 | £2,521.11 | £26,034.19 | £2,169.52 |
| M2 | £36,042 | £2,667.11 | £27,337.95 | £2,278.16 |
| M3 | £38,400 | £3,417.60 | £28,435.32 | £2,369.61 |
| M4 | £40,941 | £3,643.75 | £30,083.92 | £2,506.99 |
| M5 | £43,529 | £3,874.08 | £31,763.02 | £2,646.92 |
| M6 | £46,940 | £4,177.66 | £33,976.07 | £2,831.34 |
| Upper pay range | ||||
| U1 | £49,134 | £4,864.27 | £35,006.46 | £2,917.21 |
| U2 | £50,956 | £5,044.64 | £36,215.17 | £3,017.93 |
| U3 | £52,835 | £5,230.67 | £37,531.96 | £3,127.66 |
| Unqualified range | ||||
| UQ1 | £23,732 | £1,756.17 | £19,203.50 | £1,600.29 |
| UQ6 | £36,494 | £3,247.97 | £27,198.70 | £2,266.56 |
| Leadership range | ||||
| L_max | £148,829 | £17,859.48 | £80,843.06 | £6,736.92 |
| L_min | £53,586 | £5,305.01 | £38,058.27 | £3,171.52 |
Pay scale: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ad21656dfa45fcb6753cb0b/School_teachers_pay_and_conditions_document_and_guidance_2026.pdf, effective 1 September 2026
The main pay range
The main pay range runs from M1 to M6. The School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document fixes only the minimum, £34,069, and the maximum, £46,940. The points in between, M2 to M5, are advisory points published by the Department for Education, and schools set their own pay policy within the range.
Across the range, yearly take-home rises from £26,034.19 at M1 to £33,976.07 at M6. At M1, the pension contribution rate is 7.4%. At M2, the pension contribution rate is 7.4%. At M3, the pension contribution rate is 8.9%. The yearly deduction is £2,667.11 at M2 and £3,417.60 at M3.
At M6, all taxed pay is in the basic rate band. Income tax at M6 is £6,036.67 and National Insurance is £2,749.60.
The upper pay range and leadership
Teachers can apply to be paid on the upper pay range, U1 to U3, which pays £49,134 to £52,835. U2 is again an advisory point. At U1, the pension contribution rate is 9.9%. At U2, the pension contribution rate is 9.9%. The yearly pension deduction at U2 is £5,044.64.
At U3, all taxed pay is in the basic rate band. The pension comes off before income tax. Take-home at U3 is £37,531.96 a year, or £3,127.66 a month.
The leadership group range for heads and deputies runs from £53,586 to £148,829. At the maximum, take-home is £80,843.06. At the top of the leadership range, some pay is taxed at the additional rate.
Unqualified teachers and the pay year
The unqualified teacher range runs from £23,732 to £36,494, and only its two ends appear in the table. At the minimum, take-home is £1,600.29 a month.
The figures apply the scale from 1 September 2026 to the whole 2026/27 tax year. April to August 2026 were paid on the scale from 1 September 2025, so a teacher's actual pay for the 2026/27 tax year is a little lower than the table shows. Schools in London and the area around it use higher scales, on the fringe page and the inner London page. The teacher pay calculator handles part-time work.
Questions
Which England pay scale does this page use?
The table uses the England scale from 1 September 2026. The final School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2026 is published and the figures have been checked against it.
What does an M1 teacher take home a month?
A full-time teacher on M1 outside London and the fringe takes home £2,169.52 a month on this scale, after income tax, National Insurance and the Teachers' Pension.
Do classroom teachers outside London pay higher rate tax?
No classroom point on this scale has pay taxed at the higher rate. The estimate includes the Teachers' Pension taken before income tax. At the top of the leadership range, some pay is taxed at the additional rate.
Are M2 to M5 fixed amounts?
No. Only the minimum and maximum of each range are fixed by law. M2 to M5 and U2 are advisory points from the Department for Education, and a school can pay differently.