Nursery Practitioner Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 20,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£20,840
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 8.3% change on the previous year
Mean
£20,198
Jobs measured
20,000
What a typical nursery practitioner takes home
On the median of £20,840, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,544
Take-home a year
£18,524
Income Tax
£1,654
National Insurance
£662
What most nursery practitioners actually earn
Half of nursery practitioners in South East earn between £13,774 and £26,142. Earning above £26,142 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 South East.
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 South East ranks for nursery practitioner pay
2nd
of 4 GB regions with a published figure
Scotland tops the table on £24,420 and West Midlands sits at the bottom on £20,152. South East is £3,581 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
- 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 South East?
The median is £20,840 a year and the mean is £20,198, 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 South East.
What is a good Nursery Practitioner salary?
Half of nursery practitioners earn between £13,774 and £26,142. Anything above £26,142 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 £9,416 and the lowest quarter under £13,774 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do nursery practitioners in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £20,840 against £20,464 across the UK, 1.8% higher, which places it 2nd 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 +8.3% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many nursery practitioners are there in South East?
ASHE counts around 20,000 employee jobs in “Early education and childcare practitioners” (SOC 3232) in South East. 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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