Higher Level Teaching Assistant Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 38,000 jobs.
Median salary
£23,038
gross, per year, all employees
Part-time work is common in this occupation, so the figure above sits 13% below the £26,026 median for people working full-time.
▲ 3.8% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£26,026
Part-time only
£18,726
Mean
£22,340
Jobs measured
38,000
What a typical higher level teaching assistant takes home
On the full-time median of £26,026, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,855
Take-home a year
£22,259
Income Tax
£2,691
National Insurance
£1,077
What most higher level teaching assistants actually earn
Half of higher level teaching assistants earn between £18,256 and £27,625. Earning above £27,625 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of higher level teaching assistants earn less than this.
Higher Level Teaching Assistant salary by region
5 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| London | £30,254 | £29,594 |
| North West | £24,556 | £22,594 |
| West Midlands | £23,185 | £23,025 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £23,164 | £22,329 |
| South East | £21,004 | £20,688 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Higher level teaching assistants
- SOC 2020 code
- 3231
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 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.
Higher Level Teaching Assistant salary FAQs
What is the average Higher Level Teaching Assistant salary in the UK?
The median is £23,038 a year and the mean is £22,340, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £26,026 and part-time employees £18,726.
How much does a higher level teaching assistant earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £17.43 excluding overtime, or £17.37 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good Higher Level Teaching Assistant salary?
Half of higher level teaching assistants earn between £18,256 and £27,625. Anything above £27,625 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a higher level teaching assistant?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of higher level teaching assistants earn under £11,439 and the lowest quarter under £18,256 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Has higher level teaching assistant pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +3.8% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many higher level teaching assistants are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 38,000 employee jobs in “Higher level teaching assistants” (SOC 3231) in the UK. 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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