Teacher Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 218,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£39,935
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 1.3% change on the previous year
Mean
£39,540
Jobs measured
218,000
What a typical teacher takes home
On the median of £39,935, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,689
Take-home a year
£32,273
Income Tax
£5,473
National Insurance
£2,189
What most teachers actually earn
Half of teachers in South East earn between £27,776 and £49,650. Earning above £49,650 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 South East ranks for teacher pay
8th
of 11 GB regions with a published figure
Scotland tops the table on £47,574 and East Midlands sits at the bottom on £38,991. South East is £7,639 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
- 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 South East?
The median is £39,935 a year and the mean is £39,540, 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 South East.
What is a good Teacher salary?
Half of teachers earn between £27,776 and £49,650. Anything above £49,650 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 £16,491 and the lowest quarter under £27,776 — 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 £60,778 a year, and the top quarter more than £49,650. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do teachers in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £39,935 against £42,660 across the UK, 6.4% lower, which places it 8th 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 +1.3% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many teachers are there in South East?
ASHE counts around 218,000 employee jobs in “Teaching Professionals” (SOC 231) 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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