Teacher pay after tax in Scotland 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.
Scottish teachers are paid on a single national scale agreed by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers. The table uses the scale that took effect on 1 August 2026. A probationer on point zero earns £36,159 and takes home £2,285.81 a month after Scottish income tax, National Insurance and the pension.
| Point | Salary | Pension | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Grade Scale | ||||
| MG0 | £36,159 | £2,657.69 | £27,429.73 | £2,285.81 |
| MG1 | £43,383 | £3,852.41 | £31,614.95 | £2,634.58 |
| MG2 | £45,843 | £4,070.86 | £33,188.97 | £2,765.75 |
| MG3 | £48,504 | £4,307.16 | £34,781.18 | £2,898.43 |
| MG4 | £51,582 | £5,106.62 | £35,935.21 | £2,994.60 |
| MG5 | £54,453 | £5,390.85 | £37,378.12 | £3,114.84 |
| Leadership range | ||||
| DHT_HT_1 | £67,332 | £7,143.93 | £43,573.57 | £3,631.13 |
| DHT_HT_19 | £124,365 | £15,097.91 | £67,783 | £5,648.58 |
Pay scale: www.snct.org.uk/wiki/details, effective 1 August 2026
The Scottish main grade scale
The main grade scale has six points, numbered from zero to five. Point zero is the probationer year, and it pays £36,159. The step from there to point one is the largest on the scale: salary rises to £43,383, and take-home goes from £27,429.73 to £31,614.95 a year.
The scale is a collective agreement between employers, teacher unions and the Scottish Government. It has no separate range for unqualified teachers and no area scales like the London rates in England.
Point five, the top of the main grade, pays £54,453 and leaves £37,378.12 a year, or £3,114.84 a month.
Scottish tax and the pension across the points
Scottish income tax has more bands than the rest of the UK. At MG0, some pay is taxed at the intermediate rate. MG3 is the first classroom point with pay taxed at the higher rate. Income tax at MG3 is £6,540.94.
The Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme uses tiers based on actual pay. At MG0, the pension contribution rate is 7.35%. At MG1, the pension contribution rate is 8.88%. At MG3, the pension contribution rate is 8.88%. At MG4, the pension contribution rate is 9.9%. At MG5, the pension contribution rate is 9.9%. The yearly deduction is £2,657.69 at MG0 and £5,106.62 at MG4. Each tier rate applies to the whole pensionable salary.
For depute headteachers and headteachers, the leadership scale runs from £67,332 on its first point to £124,365 on the last. At DHT_HT_19, some pay is taxed at the advanced rate. Take-home at the top is £67,783.
Dates and other scales
The Scottish agreement changed pay in April 2026 and again in August 2026, while the tax year starts in April. The figures here apply the August rates to the whole 2026/27 tax year, so pay received from April to July was a little lower than shown. Teachers elsewhere in the UK are on different scales, shown on the England page and the Wales page. The teacher pay calculator covers part-time contracts.
Questions
What does a probationer teacher in Scotland take home?
On point zero of the scale from 1 August 2026, a probationer earns £36,159 and takes home £27,429.73 a year after Scottish income tax, National Insurance and the pension.
Do Scottish teachers pay higher rate tax?
MG3 is the first classroom point with pay taxed at the higher rate. The estimate uses full-time point salary with the Scottish Teachers' Pension taken before income tax, no allowances and no student loans.
Is Scottish teacher pay set by law?
No. The Scottish scale is a collective agreement reached through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers. England and Wales set teacher pay in statutory pay documents instead.