Primary School Teacher Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 53,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£48,455
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 3.7% change on the previous year
Mean
£43,641
Jobs measured
53,000
What a typical primary school teacher takes home
On the median of £48,455, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£3,104
Take-home a year
£37,251
Income Tax
£8,333
National Insurance
£2,871
What most primary school teachers actually earn
Half of primary school teachers in Scotland earn between £34,615 and £53,446. Earning above £53,446 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 Professionals” group in Scotland.
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.
How Scotland ranks for primary school teacher pay
1st
of 10 GB regions with a published figure
Scotland pays primary school teachers more than anywhere else ONS measures — £8,843 above East Midlands, the lowest of the 10.
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
- 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 Scotland?
The median is £48,455 a year and the mean is £43,641, 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 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, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
What is a good Primary School Teacher salary?
Half of primary school teachers earn between £34,615 and £53,446. Anything above £53,446 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 £20,673 and the lowest quarter under £34,615 — 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 £65,489 a year, and the top quarter more than £53,446. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do primary school teachers in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £48,455 against £43,814 across the UK, 10.6% higher, which places it 1st highest of the 10 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has primary school teacher pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +3.7% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many primary school teachers are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 53,000 employee jobs in “Primary education teaching professionals” (SOC 2314) 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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