Headteacher Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 9,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£67,633
gross, per year, all employees
▼ 2.1% change on the previous year
Mean
£64,542
Jobs measured
9,000
What a typical headteacher takes home
On the median of £67,633, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£3,990
Take-home a year
£47,882
Income Tax
£16,388
National Insurance
£3,363
What most headteachers actually earn
Half of headteachers in Scotland earn between £39,014 and £71,005. Earning above £71,005 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Other Educational Professionals” group in Scotland.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of headteachers earn less than this.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Head teachers and principals
- SOC 2020 code
- 2321
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Headteacher salary FAQs
What is the average Headteacher salary in Scotland?
The median is £67,633 a year and the mean is £64,542, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a headteacher earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £44.31 excluding overtime, or £43.00 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
What is a good Headteacher salary?
Half of headteachers earn between £39,014 and £71,005. Anything above £71,005 is in the top quarter for the role.
Do headteachers in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £67,633 against £70,977 across the UK, 4.7% lower.
Has headteacher pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at -2.1% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many headteachers are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 9,000 employee jobs in “Head teachers and principals” (SOC 2321) in Scotland. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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