Unqualified teacher salary 2026/27
Teachers without qualified teacher status are paid on the unqualified range. Here is what each point pays from 1 September 2026.
Unqualified range, outside London
| Point | Salary | Inner London | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point 1 | £23,732 | £29,336 | £1,600 |
| Point 2 | £26,075 | £32,018 | £1,729 |
| Point 3 | £28,758 | £34,702 | £1,877 |
| Point 4 | £31,124 | £37,068 | £2,007 |
| Point 5 | £33,811 | £39,747 | £2,155 |
| Point 6 | £36,494 | £42,429 | £2,266 |
Take-home is outside London. The bottom point outside London rose by 5% in September 2026, more than the 3.5% elsewhere, to keep it above the National Living Wage. When you gain QTS, you move onto the main pay range at M1 or above.
Where you are placed and how you move up
Your school decides which point to place you on. It takes into account your qualifications and experience, so an instructor with years of industry experience can start higher than a first-year trainee. Unlike the main pay range there are six points, and progression depends on your school’s pay policy, which sets out how often pay is reviewed. Your pay is set under the same national document as qualified teachers, but academies and free schools can set their own scales, so check the contract.
This year the bottom point outside London rose 5% rather than 3.5%, from about £22,602 to £23,732, to keep it above the National Living Wage. At 3.5% it would have been about £23,393. Points above the bottom rose 3.5% as normal, so the gap between points 1 and 2 is narrower than usual. The review body has said it will look at unqualified pay more fully in future.
Pension and take-home
Unqualified teachers in state schools can join the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. On the bottom point outside London you pay the lowest contribution rate, and take-home is about £1,600 a month. At point 6 it is £2,266. See teacher pay scales for what qualified teachers earn, and early career teacher salary for the first two years after QTS.
Who unqualified teachers are
Unqualified teachers do the job of a teacher without holding qualified teacher status (QTS). They plan and teach lessons and are paid on the unqualified range rather than the main pay range. Common examples are:
- trainees on a salaried route, working towards QTS while employed by a school
- instructors with specialist skills, such as music, sport or a vocational subject
- teachers trained overseas whose qualifications are not yet recognised in England
- teachers in academies and free schools, which can employ staff without QTS
Moving onto the main pay range
Once you gain QTS, your school must move you onto the main pay range, usually starting at M1. That is a rise of about £10,337 a year from the bottom of the unqualified range outside London. Experienced unqualified teachers can gain QTS through the assessment only route without a full training course.
Common questions
Can you teach without QTS?
Yes, in some roles. Academies and free schools can employ teachers without QTS, and maintained schools can employ unqualified teachers in limited cases, such as trainees and instructors.
How much does an unqualified teacher earn?
From £23,732 to £36,494 outside London from September 2026, and £29,336 to £42,429 in inner London.
Can unqualified teachers join the Teachers’ Pension?
Yes, if they work in a state school. Contributions start at 7.4% of pay.