Secondary School Teacher Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 38,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£51,755
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 4.5% change on the previous year
Mean
£48,481
Jobs measured
38,000
What a typical secondary school teacher takes home
On the median of £51,755, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£3,249
Take-home a year
£38,990
Income Tax
£9,719
National Insurance
£3,046
What most secondary school teachers actually earn
Half of secondary 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 secondary school teachers earn less than this.
How Scotland ranks for secondary school teacher pay
1st
of 11 GB regions with a published figure
Scotland pays secondary school teachers more than anywhere else ONS measures — £11,518 above Yorkshire and The Humber, the lowest of the 11.
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
- Secondary education teaching professionals
- SOC 2020 code
- 2313
- 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.
Secondary School Teacher salary FAQs
What is the average Secondary School Teacher salary in Scotland?
The median is £51,755 a year and the mean is £48,481, 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 secondary school teacher earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £30.52 excluding overtime, or £30.17 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
What is a good Secondary School Teacher salary?
Half of secondary 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 secondary 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 secondary 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 secondary school teachers earn?
The top 10% of secondary 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 secondary school teachers in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £51,755 against £46,376 across the UK, 11.6% higher, which places it 1st highest of the 11 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has secondary school teacher pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +4.5% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many secondary school teachers are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 38,000 employee jobs in “Secondary education teaching professionals” (SOC 2313) 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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