Nursery Practitioner Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 19,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£24,420
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 6.5% change on the previous year
Mean
£25,355
Jobs measured
19,000
What a typical nursery practitioner takes home
On the median of £24,420, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,762
Take-home a year
£21,142
Income Tax
£2,330
National Insurance
£948
What most nursery practitioners actually earn
Half of nursery practitioners in Scotland earn between £18,402 and £29,721. Earning above £29,721 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 “Teaching and Childcare Associate Professionals” group in Scotland.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of nursery practitioners earn less than this.
How Scotland ranks for nursery practitioner pay
1st
of 4 GB regions with a published figure
Scotland pays nursery practitioners more than anywhere else ONS measures — £4,268 above West Midlands, the lowest of the 4.
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
- Early education and childcare practitioners
- SOC 2020 code
- 3232
- 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.
Nursery Practitioner salary FAQs
What is the average Nursery Practitioner salary in Scotland?
The median is £24,420 a year and the mean is £25,355, 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 nursery practitioner earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £13.67 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
What is a good Nursery Practitioner salary?
Half of nursery practitioners earn between £18,402 and £29,721. Anything above £29,721 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a nursery practitioner?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of nursery practitioners earn under £11,903 and the lowest quarter under £18,402 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do nursery practitioners in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £24,420 against £20,464 across the UK, 19.3% higher, which places it 1st highest of the 4 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has nursery practitioner pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +6.5% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many nursery practitioners are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 19,000 employee jobs in “Early education and childcare practitioners” (SOC 3232) 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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