Headteacher Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 10,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£67,377
gross, per year
▲ 3.3% change on the previous year
Mean
£68,865
Jobs measured
10,000
What most headteachers actually earn
Half of headteachers in South East earn between £33,078 and £65,935. Earning above £65,935 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 South East.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of headteachers earn less than this.
How South East ranks for headteacher pay
7th
of 10 GB regions with a published figure
Yorkshire and The Humber tops the table on £82,282 and East Midlands sits at the bottom on £60,776. South East is £14,905 short of the top.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
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 South East?
The median is £67,377 a year and the mean is £68,865, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
What is a good Headteacher salary?
Half of headteachers earn between £33,078 and £65,935. Anything above £65,935 is in the top quarter for the role.
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, covering 10,000 jobs in this occupation.
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