Primary School Teacher Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 348,000 jobs.
Median salary
£43,814
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 5% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£47,207
Part-time only
£26,908
Mean
£41,879
Jobs measured
348,000
What a typical primary school teacher takes home
On the median of £43,814, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,922
Take-home a year
£35,065
Income Tax
£6,249
National Insurance
£2,500
What most primary school teachers actually earn
Half of primary school teachers earn between £31,585 and £51,709. Earning above £51,709 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 primary school teachers earn less than this.
Primary School Teacher salary by region
11 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £48,455 | £43,641 |
| Wales | £47,646 | £44,621 |
| London | £47,040 | £49,987 |
| North East | £43,392 | £42,900 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £43,325 | £41,085 |
| East | £42,375 | £40,350 |
| South East | £40,713 | £39,814 |
| North West | £40,635 | £39,961 |
| South West | £40,552 | £38,624 |
| West Midlands | £39,740 | £38,825 |
| East Midlands | £39,612 | £37,975 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Primary education teaching professionals
- SOC 2020 code
- 2314
- 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.
Primary School Teacher salary FAQs
What is the average Primary School Teacher salary in the UK?
The median is £43,814 a year and the mean is £41,879, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £47,207 and part-time employees £26,908.
How much does a primary school teacher earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £30.10 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good Primary School Teacher salary?
Half of primary school teachers earn between £31,585 and £51,709. Anything above £51,709 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a primary school teacher?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of primary school teachers earn under £19,544 and the lowest quarter under £31,585 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid primary school teachers earn?
The top 10% of primary school teachers earn more than £58,702 a year, and the top quarter more than £51,709. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Which part of the UK pays primary school teachers the most?
Scotland, at a median of £48,455, is the highest of the 10 GB regions with a precise ONS estimate; East Midlands is the lowest at £39,612. Regions where ONS marks the figure as imprecise are not ranked.
Has primary school teacher pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +5.0% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many primary school teachers are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 348,000 employee jobs in “Primary education teaching professionals” (SOC 2314) 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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