Teacher pay calculator 2026/27
Take-home pay for teachers in state schools in England from 1 September 2026. Pick your pay area, range and point, then add TLR, SEN, part time and student loans.
Your teaching job
Outside London and the fringe. Pay from 1 September 2026.
Add to your pay
Deductions and tax
Salary, TLRs and SEN allowances count for your pension. The rate is set on what you actually earn, so part-time teachers pay the rate for their real pay.
Main pay range
Take-home a month at each point, with everything you entered above.
| Point | Salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | £34,069 | £2,169.37 |
| M2 | £36,042 | £2,278.01 |
| M3 | £38,400 | £2,369.46 |
| M4 | £40,941 | £2,506.84 |
| M5 | £43,529 | £2,646.77 |
| M6 | £46,940 | £2,831.19 |
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Main and upper pay at a glance (rest of England)
| Point | Salary | Pension | Monthly take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main pay range | |||
| M1 | £34,069 | 7.4% | £2,169.37 |
| M2 | £36,042 | 7.4% | £2,278.01 |
| M3 | £38,400 | 8.9% | £2,369.46 |
| M4 | £40,941 | 8.9% | £2,506.84 |
| M5 | £43,529 | 8.9% | £2,646.77 |
| M6 | £46,940 | 8.9% | £2,831.19 |
| Upper pay range | |||
| U1 | £49,134 | 9.9% | £2,917.06 |
| U2 | £50,956 | 9.9% | £3,017.78 |
| U3 | £52,835 | 9.9% | £3,127.51 |
Rest of England pay range, full time, tax code 1257L, Teachers’ Pension member, no student loan. Yearly rates from 1 September 2026.
London and fringe pay
Schools in and around London pay on higher ranges. These are the yearly salaries from September 2026 for the main points.
| Point | Rest of England | Fringe | Outer London | Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | £34,069 | £35,602 | £39,196 | £41,729 |
| M6 | £46,940 | £48,479 | £52,241 | £54,131 |
| U1 | £49,134 | £50,625 | £54,047 | £59,650 |
| U3 | £52,835 | £54,328 | £58,120 | £64,684 |
What the 3.5% rise is worth
A new teacher on M1 goes from £32,916 to £34,069, a rise of £1,153 a year. After tax, National Insurance and pension, about £762 of that reaches the bank, or £63 a month. At M6 the rise is £1,588, and you keep about £1,030 of it.
Because the rise starts in September, your pay for the 2026/27 tax year is a mix of both scales: five months at the old rate and seven at the new one. Payroll works out tax month by month, so this evens out on your payslips.
How teacher take-home pay is worked out
Take a teacher on M6 outside London. Their salary is £46,940, which puts them in the 8.9% pension tier, so £4,177.66 a year goes into the Teachers’ Pension before tax. Income Tax is £6,038.47 and National Insurance is £2,749.60, which leaves £33,974.27 a year, or £2,831.19 a month.
Teachers’ Pension contribution tiers 2026/27
| Actual yearly pensionable pay | You pay |
|---|---|
| Up to £36,198.99 | 7.4% |
| £36,199 to £48,727.99 | 8.9% |
| £48,728 to £57,776.99 | 9.9% |
| £57,777 to £76,572.99 | 10.5% |
| £76,573 to £104,413.99 | 11.6% |
| £104,414 and above | 12% |
As with other public sector schemes, your whole salary is charged at one rate. The first boundary sits between M2 and M3 outside London. A teacher on £36,198 pays 7.4%, but £1 more puts the whole salary on 8.9%, which costs about £434 a year in take-home pay.
The rate is set on your actual salary, so part-time teachers pay the rate for what they actually earn. Teaching and learning responsibility payments count towards it too.
What is not included
- Leading practitioners. This range is not in the calculator. Pick the nearest leadership point instead.
- Academies. Academies do not have to follow these scales, although most do.
- Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each sets its own teacher pay. Scotland also has its own pension tiers and Income Tax.
Common questions
How much is the teacher pay rise for 2026/27?
Teachers and school leaders in England get 3.5% from 1 September 2026. The government also accepted a further 3% from September 2027.
What does a new teacher earn in 2026?
A newly qualified teacher on M1 outside London earns £34,069 from September 2026, which is about £2,169 a month after tax, National Insurance and the Teachers’ Pension.
How much do teachers pay into their pension?
Between 7.4% and 12% of salary in 2026/27, depending on which tier your actual salary falls in. It comes out before Income Tax.
Do academies have to pay these scales?
No. Maintained schools must follow the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. Academies set their own pay, though most mirror the national scales.
Are these the pay scales in Wales?
No. Teacher pay in Wales has been set separately since 2018. These figures are for England.
Which pay area is my school in?
It depends on where the school is, not where you live. Inner London covers the central boroughs plus Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Ealing, Haringey, Merton and Newham. Outer London is the other boroughs. The fringe covers nearby parts of the Home Counties.
Are TLR and SEN payments pensionable?
Yes. TLR1, TLR2, TLR3 and SEN allowances all count as pensionable pay, and they also count towards your pension contribution tier.
How is part-time teacher pay worked out?
Your salary and allowances are paid in proportion to your working time. A teacher on M6 at 60% takes home about £1,844 a month outside London. Tax and pension are worked out on the lower pay, so it is more than 60% of the full-time take-home.