Teacher Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 129,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£47,574
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 3.5% change on the previous year
Mean
£43,841
Jobs measured
129,000
What a typical teacher takes home
On the median of £47,574, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£3,068
Take-home a year
£36,811
Income Tax
£7,963
National Insurance
£2,800
What most teachers actually earn
Half of teachers in Scotland earn between £34,028 and £51,647. Earning above £51,647 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 teachers earn less than this.
How Scotland ranks for teacher pay
1st
of 11 GB regions with a published figure
Scotland pays teachers more than anywhere else ONS measures — £8,583 above East Midlands, 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
- Teaching Professionals
- SOC 2020 code
- 231
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
ONS doesn't measure “teacher” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Teaching Professionals”, which includes this role alongside others. 3-digit group spanning primary, secondary and further education.
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.
Teacher salary FAQs
What is the average Teacher salary in Scotland?
The median is £47,574 a year and the mean is £43,841, 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 teacher earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £28.78 excluding overtime, or £28.69 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
What is a good Teacher salary?
Half of teachers earn between £34,028 and £51,647. Anything above £51,647 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a teacher?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of teachers earn under £18,968 and the lowest quarter under £34,028 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid teachers earn?
The top 10% of teachers earn more than £62,265 a year, and the top quarter more than £51,647. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do teachers in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £47,574 against £42,660 across the UK, 11.5% higher, which places it 1st highest of the 11 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has teacher pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +3.5% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many teachers are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 129,000 employee jobs in “Teaching Professionals” (SOC 231) 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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