Teacher pay scales in Northern Ireland
A teacher in Northern Ireland starts on £32,916 and reaches £43,830 at the top of the main scale, or £50,876 at the top of the upper scale. These are the rates from 1 September 2025, and they are still the current rates: no pay offer for 2026/27 has been made yet. After tax, National Insurance and the pension, that is £2,106 to £3,013 a month.
Teachers’ pay in Northern Ireland is negotiated through the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC), where employers and the Department of Education sit with the five unions of the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council: INTO, NASUWT, UTU, NEU and NAHT. Once a deal is agreed, the Department publishes the scales in a circular. The figures below are from Circular 2026/07.
Classroom teacher pay scales
| Point | From 1 Sept 2025 | Pension rate | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| M2 | £32,916 | 7.4% | £2,106 |
| M3 | £35,185 | 7.4% | £2,231 |
| M4 | £37,809 | 8.87% | £2,338 |
| M5 | £40,700 | 8.87% | £2,495 |
| M6 | £43,830 | 8.87% | £2,664 |
| UPS1 | £47,390 | 8.87% | £2,856 |
| UPS2 | £49,104 | 9.9% | £2,915 |
| UPS3 | £50,876 | 9.9% | £3,013 |
Take-home is for a full-time teacher, after Income Tax, National Insurance and Northern Ireland Teachers’ Pension Scheme contributions, tax code 1257L, no student loan. The main scale starts at M2: there is no M1 point in use. Teachers on the main scale move up one point a year. The upper pay scale (UPS1 to UPS3) is for teachers who have crossed the threshold, which you apply for once you are at the top of the main scale.
Where the 2026/27 pay award stands
Teachers in England and Wales got 3.5% from September 2026. In Northern Ireland no offer has been made yet, so these 2025 rates are still being paid. That has happened before. The 2025/26 deal was only offered in January 2026, after the Education Minister got Executive approval for a Ministerial Direction, and the 4% rise, with back pay to 1 September 2025, was due in February 2026 salaries. If a 2026/27 award follows the same pattern, expect back pay to 1 September 2026 once it is agreed.
Separately, all five unions began action short of strike on 28 September 2026 in a dispute over workload, after the Independent Review of Teacher Workload made 27 recommendations. That dispute is about workload, not the pay award.
Your pension contribution
| Actual pensionable pay | Rate on your whole salary |
|---|---|
| Up to £36,198.99 | 7.4% |
| £36,199 to £48,727.99 | 8.87% |
| £48,728 to £57,776.99 | 9.9% |
| £57,777 to £76,572.99 | 10.52% |
| £76,573 to £104,413.99 | 11.65% |
| £104,414 and above | 12.06% |
These are the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Pension Scheme rates from 1 April 2026. They are close to the rates in England but not identical. Because one rate applies to all your pay, two steps on the scale add less than they seem:
- M3 to M4 adds £2,624 a year, but M4 pays 8.87% instead of 7.4%, so take-home goes up about £107 a month.
- UPS1 to UPS2 adds £1,714 a year, but UPS2 pays 9.9% instead of 8.87%, so take-home goes up only about £59 a month.
Northern Ireland or England?
Year by year from qualifying, against a teacher outside London in England on the September 2026 scale:
| Year | Northern Ireland | Take-home a month | England | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £32,916 (M2) | £2,106 | £34,069 (M1) | £2,169 |
| 2 | £35,185 (M3) | £2,231 | £36,042 (M2) | £2,278 |
| 3 | £37,809 (M4) | £2,338 | £38,400 (M3) | £2,369 |
| 4 | £40,700 (M5) | £2,495 | £40,941 (M4) | £2,507 |
| 5 | £43,830 (M6) | £2,664 | £43,529 (M5) | £2,647 |
For now a Northern Ireland teacher is behind in every year, by about £63 a month in year one. Most of that gap is the missing 2026/27 award. On last year’s figures the two starting salaries were the same, £32,916, but England has one more main scale point, so its top of the main scale was higher.
Allowances
| Allowance | A year |
|---|---|
| Teaching allowance level 1 | £2,505 |
| Teaching allowance level 2 | £5,058 |
| Teaching allowance level 3 | £8,682 |
| Teaching allowance level 4 | £11,957 |
| Teaching allowance level 5 | £16,135 |
| Special needs allowance 1 | £2,717 |
| Special needs allowance 2 | £5,362 |
Teaching allowances in Northern Ireland are fixed amounts at five levels, rather than the ranges used for TLRs in England and Wales. Both teaching and special needs allowances rose by 4% from September 2025 and are pensionable.
Principal pay
The leadership spine runs from £51,834 at L1 to £143,422 at L43. Principals are paid within a range set by the school’s group:
| Group | Spine points | Pay range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | L6 to L18 | £58,491 to £78,223 |
| 2 | L8 to L21 | £61,398 to £84,099 |
| 3 | L11 to L24 | £66,135 to £90,427 |
| 4 | L14 to L27 | £70,998 to £97,238 |
| 5 | L18 to L31 | £78,223 to £107,133 |
| 6 | L21 to L35 | £84,099 to £118,058 |
| 7 | L24 to L39 | £90,427 to £130,040 |
| 8 | L28 to L43 | £99,622 to £143,422 |
Common questions
What is the starting salary for a teacher in Northern Ireland?
£32,916 on M2, which is about £2,106 a month after tax, National Insurance and pension. This is the rate from 1 September 2025 and is still current.
Have Northern Ireland teachers had a pay rise for 2026/27?
Not yet. No offer had been made by November 2026. The 2025/26 award of 4% was offered in January 2026, with back pay due in February 2026 salaries.
What is the top of the upper pay scale in Northern Ireland?
UPS3, which is £50,876 from 1 September 2025.
How much are teaching allowances in Northern Ireland?
There are five levels, from £2,505 at level 1 to £16,135 at level 5. Special needs allowances are £2,717 and £5,362.
Do teachers in Northern Ireland pay the same pension as in England?
Nearly. Northern Ireland has its own scheme, the NITPS, with rates from 7.4% to 12.06% in 2026/27. The bands are the same as in England but some rates differ slightly.
Sources
- Department of Education: Circular 2026/07, teachers’ pay and allowances from 1 September 2025
- Department of Education: teachers’ pay agreement 2025/26
- Department of Education: Circular 2026/11, NITPS contribution rates from 1 April 2026
- Department of Education: statement on the industrial action ballot results (1 September 2026)