Teachers in maintained schools in England are due a 3.5% pay rise from 1 September 2026, taking M1 in the rest of England to £34,069 and U3 to £52,835. On those rates a teacher starting at M1 takes home about £2,169 a month, and one at the top of the upper range takes home about £3,128. The government accepted these School Teachers' Review Body recommendations on 1 July 2026; the pay document that makes them statutory is due in mid-October, backdated to 1 September.
Where things stand on 21 September 2026
- Accepted: the STRB's 36th report recommended 3.5% from September 2026 and 3% from September 2027, with a 5% rise for the minimum of the unqualified teacher range in the rest of England. The government accepted the recommendations in full (DfE, 16 September 2026; STRB 36th Report).
- Not yet statutory: the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2026 has not been published. The Department for Education says it will be published in mid-October for schools to implement and that the award will be backdated to 1 September (DfE). The STPCD 2025 remains the latest published document (GOV.UK).
- What that means for your payslip: your September 2026 payslip may still show 2025/26 rates. Once your school implements the new rates, any difference from 1 September should be paid as arrears.
The tables below show both sets of figures: the statutory STPCD 2025 rates in force from 1 September 2025, and the rates recommended from 1 September 2026 in Appendix F of the STRB report, which the government has accepted.
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What each pay point is worth after deductions
Nothing in this table is typed by hand. The salaries are the rates accepted from Appendix F of the STRB's 36th report, the pension rate is the member tier the Teachers' Pension Scheme publishes for that salary, and income tax and National Insurance come from the same 2026/27 constants the site's calculators use. The member contribution comes off before income tax but not before National Insurance.
Classroom teacher take-home, rest of England
Salaries are the rates the government accepted from the STRB's 36th report, effective 1 September 2026 and to be backdated. The School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2026, which makes them statutory, had not been published when this page was last checked on 27 September 2026, so your September payslip may still show 2025/26 rates. Deductions on the 2026/27 tax year: Teachers’ Pension Scheme contribution, income tax on the standard 1257L code with rest-of-UK bands, and Class 1 National Insurance on category A. No student loan and no overtime, allowances or enhancements.
| Grade and pay point | Salary / year | Pension / year | Income tax / year | NI / year | Take-home / year | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main pay range, point M1 — M1 (statutory minimum) | £34,069 | £2,521 (7.4%) | £3,796 | £1,720 | £26,032 | £2,169 |
| Main pay range, point M6 — M6 (statutory maximum of the range) | £46,940 | £4,178 (8.9%) | £6,038 | £2,750 | £33,974 | £2,831 |
| Upper pay range, point U1 — U1 (statutory minimum of the range) | £49,134 | £4,864 (9.9%) | £6,340 | £2,925 | £35,005 | £2,917 |
| Upper pay range, point U3 — U3 (statutory maximum of the range) | £52,835 | £5,231 (9.9%) | £7,007 | £3,067 | £37,530 | £3,128 |
Salary source: STRB 36th Report 2026, Appendix F. The England scale outside London, and M1, M6, U1 and U3 are statutory while M2 to M5 are advisory, so a school may space the range differently. Pension tiers: Teachers’ Pensions, changes to member contributions, March 2026. The contribution comes off before income tax but not before National Insurance, so the figure tax is charged on is lower than the salary and the figure NI is charged on is not. Work out your own figures on the take-home calculator.
Leading practitioner pay range: take-home at each published pay point
Salaries are the accepted rates for the leading practitioner range from 1 September 2026, not yet statutory. Deductions on the 2026/27 tax year: Teachers’ Pension Scheme contribution, income tax on the standard 1257L code with rest-of-UK bands, and Class 1 National Insurance on category A. No student loan and no overtime, allowances or enhancements.
| Pay point | Salary / year | Pension / year | Income tax / year | NI / year | Take-home / year | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | £53,847 | £5,331 (9.9%) | £7,189 | £3,088 | £38,239 | £3,187 |
| Maximum | £81,861 | £9,496 (11.6%) | £16,378 | £3,648 | £52,339 | £4,362 |
- From £53,847 to £81,861 is £28,014 of gross progression and £14,100 after deductions, which is £1,175 a month, or 50p in the pound.
- The grade crosses £50,270 at Maximum: £81,861 gross is £72,365 once the 11.6% pension contribution comes off. At the top step £81,861 is taxed on £72,365, of which £22,095 falls in the 40% band and the rest at 20%.
- The leadership group range starts at £53,586, £28,275 below the top of this grade at £81,861: the two ranges overlap, so promotion can leave pay unchanged.
Salary source: STRB 36th Report 2026, Appendix F. The England scale outside London, and M1, M6, U1 and U3 are statutory while M2 to M5 are advisory, so a school may space the range differently. Pension tiers: Teachers’ Pensions, changes to member contributions, March 2026. The contribution comes off before income tax but not before National Insurance, so the figure tax is charged on is lower than the salary and the figure NI is charged on is not. Work out your own figures on the take-home calculator.
Leadership group pay range: take-home at each published pay point
Salaries are the accepted rates for the leadership group range from 1 September 2026, not yet statutory. Deductions on the 2026/27 tax year: Teachers’ Pension Scheme contribution, income tax on the standard 1257L code with rest-of-UK bands, and Class 1 National Insurance on category A. No student loan and no overtime, allowances or enhancements.
| Pay point | Salary / year | Pension / year | Income tax / year | NI / year | Take-home / year | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum of the leadership group | £53,586 | £5,305 (9.9%) | £7,142 | £3,082 | £38,056 | £3,171 |
| Group 1 school, head teacher range | £60,619 | £6,365 (10.5%) | £9,134 | £3,223 | £41,897 | £3,491 |
| Group 4 school, head teacher range | £73,827 | £7,752 (10.5%) | £13,862 | £3,487 | £48,726 | £4,061 |
| Group 8 school, head teacher range | £104,059 | £12,071 (11.6%) | £24,227 | £4,092 | £63,669 | £5,306 |
| Maximum of the leadership group | £148,829 | £17,859 (12%) | £45,139 | £4,987 | £80,843 | £6,737 |
- From £53,586 to £148,829 is £95,243 of gross progression and £42,787 after deductions, which is £3,566 a month, or 45p in the pound.
- The grade crosses £50,270 at Group 1 school, head teacher range: £60,619 gross is £54,254 once the 10.5% pension contribution comes off. At the top step £148,829 is taxed on £130,970, of which £87,440 falls in the 40% band.
- The top step goes past £125,140 of taxable income even after pension: £5,830 of the £130,970 charged to tax there is in the 45% band, so the marginal rate at the top of this grade is 45%, not 40%.
- £30,970 of the top step is above £100,000 once the 12% pension contribution is off the £148,829 gross, which withdraws £12,570 of personal allowance and adds £5,319 of tax on top of what is already charged on it.
Salary source: STRB 36th Report 2026, Appendix F. The England scale outside London, and M1, M6, U1 and U3 are statutory while M2 to M5 are advisory, so a school may space the range differently. Pension tiers: Teachers’ Pensions, changes to member contributions, March 2026. The contribution comes off before income tax but not before National Insurance, so the figure tax is charged on is lower than the salary and the figure NI is charged on is not. Work out your own figures on the take-home calculator.
Three things the take-home column shows that a pay table does not.
Crossing to the upper range is worth less than it looks. U1 is £2,194 above M6 in salary and about £86 a month in the hand, because the member contribution rate rises from 8.9% to 9.9% at the same time.
No classroom teacher point reaches the 40% band on basic pay. U3 at £52,835 is above the £50,270 higher-rate threshold, but the 9.9% pension contribution comes off first, so income tax is charged on £47,604. TLR payments, SEN allowances and London pay can change that; the classroom scale on its own does not.
The leading practitioner and leadership ranges overlap. The leadership group starts at £53,586, which is £28,275 below the top of the leading practitioner range, so a move between them can leave pay unchanged.
How teacher pay is structured
Classroom teachers are paid on the Main Pay Range (M1 to M6) and, after applying to cross the threshold, the Upper Pay Range (U1 to U3). Above those sit the Leading Practitioner range and the leadership group. Teachers without qualified teacher status are paid on the unqualified range. Every range varies across four pay areas: the rest of England, the London Fringe, Outer London and Inner London.
Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments and the Special Educational Needs (SEN) allowance are added on top. Academies do not have to follow the STPCD, though the DfE says legislation will require academies to have regard to it, expected from September 2027 (DfE). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set teacher pay separately.
Main Pay Range: 2025/26 statutory and 1 September 2026 rates
| Point | Rest of England 2025/26 | Rest of England from Sept 2026 | Fringe from Sept 2026 | Outer London from Sept 2026 | Inner London from Sept 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | £32,916 | £34,069 | £35,602 | £39,196 | £41,729 |
| M2 | £34,823 | £36,042 | £37,647 | £41,246 | £43,713 |
| M3 | £37,101 | £38,400 | £39,979 | £43,403 | £45,787 |
| M4 | £39,556 | £40,941 | £42,513 | £45,673 | £47,961 |
| M5 | £42,057 | £43,529 | £45,070 | £48,438 | £50,666 |
| M6 | £45,352 | £46,940 | £48,479 | £52,241 | £54,131 |
Sources: 2025/26 from the STPCD 2025; September 2026 from STRB 36th Report, Appendix F. M2 to M5 are advisory points; the statutory figures are the M1 minimum and M6 maximum.
Upper Pay Range: 2025/26 statutory and 1 September 2026 rates
| Point | Rest of England 2025/26 | Rest of England from Sept 2026 | Fringe from Sept 2026 | Outer London from Sept 2026 | Inner London from Sept 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U1 | £47,472 | £49,134 | £50,625 | £54,047 | £59,650 |
| U2 | £49,232 | £50,956 | £52,442 | £56,047 | £62,581 |
| U3 | £51,048 | £52,835 | £54,328 | £58,120 | £64,684 |
Same sources as above. Progression up the Upper Pay Range is decided under your school's pay policy.
Leadership, Leading Practitioners and allowances
| Range or allowance | 2025/26 (STPCD 2025), rest of England | From September 2026 (STRB), rest of England |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership group | £51,773 to £143,796 | £53,586 to £148,829 |
| Leading Practitioner | £52,026 to £79,092 | £53,847 to £81,861 |
| TLR1 | £10,174 to £17,216 | £10,531 to £17,819 |
| TLR2 | £3,527 to £8,611 | £3,651 to £8,913 |
| TLR3 | £702 to £3,478 | £727 to £3,600 |
| SEN allowance | £2,787 to £5,497 | £2,885 to £5,690 |
| Unqualified teachers | £23,720 minimum (rest of England) | £23,732 to £36,494 (rest of England) |
Inner London leadership pay runs from £63,709 to £158,863 from September 2026. Head teachers are paid within one of eight group ranges set by school size. Sources: STPCD 2025 and STRB 36th Report, Appendix F.
London pay
There is no separate London weighting line on a teacher's payslip. The pay area is built into the scale point. From September 2026, M1 is £34,069 in the rest of England and £41,729 in Inner London, a difference of £7,660. Check which pay area your school is in, because it sets every figure on your payslip.
Teachers' Pension Scheme
Teachers in England and Wales are usually members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme, a career average defined benefit scheme. Your contribution rate depends on your salary. The bands rose by 3.8% from 1 April 2026; the rates did not change (Teachers' Pensions).
| Annual salary from 1 April 2026 | Member rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £36,198.99 | 7.4% |
| £36,199 to £48,727.99 | 8.9% |
| £48,728 to £57,776.99 | 9.9% |
| £57,777 to £76,572.99 | 10.5% |
| £76,573 to £104,413.99 | 11.6% |
| £104,414 and above | 12% |
The employer rate is 28.68%, including the 0.08% administration levy, paid by the school. Contributions are taken before income tax is worked out.
Worked example: M3 from September 2026
A teacher on M3 in the rest of England at the September 2026 rate of £38,400, on tax code 1257L, with no other deductions. Figures are shown as a full year at the new rate; the April to August 2026 months are paid at the 2025/26 rate.
| Line | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £38,400.00 | £3,200.00 |
| Teachers' Pension (8.9%) | −£3,417.60 | −£284.80 |
| Income tax | −£4,482.48 | −£373.54 |
| National Insurance | −£2,066.40 | −£172.20 |
| Net pay | £28,433.52 | £2,369.46 |
How it is worked out: £38,400 falls in the 8.9% pension band. Income tax is charged on pay after the pension contribution, £34,982.40, with the first £12,570 tax-free and the rest at 20%. National Insurance is 8% of pay above £12,570 (HMRC). At the 2025/26 M3 rate of £37,101, the same teacher's monthly net pay would be £2,299.22 on 2026/27 tax rules, so the award is worth about £70 a month after deductions.
Tax code notes
Most teachers are on 1257L, which reflects the £12,570 Personal Allowance for 2026/27 (HMRC).
1257L W1orM1means tax is worked out on each pay period on its own, usually after a job change.- A K code means untaxed income or deductions are larger than your allowance; see the K code guide.
- An S prefix means you live in Scotland and Scottish income tax bands apply; a C prefix means Welsh rates apply.
Your pay area does not change your tax code; it changes your gross pay.
Pay progression example (rest of England)
| Stage | Point | 2025/26 | From September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early career teacher, year 1 | M1 | £32,916 | £34,069 |
| Early career teacher, year 2 | M2 | £34,823 | £36,042 |
| Established teacher | M3 | £37,101 | £38,400 |
| Experienced teacher | M6 | £45,352 | £46,940 |
| Post-threshold | U1 | £47,472 | £49,134 |
| Top of Upper Pay Range | U3 | £51,048 | £52,835 |
Progression and threshold decisions follow your school's pay policy.
Action checklist
- Confirm your school's pay area.
- Check your scale point against your contract and pay policy.
- Check any TLR or SEN allowance is paid at the agreed amount.
- Check your pension band after any pay rise.
- When your school implements the 2026 rates, check the arrears back to 1 September 2026 are paid.
To check the tax, NI and pension lines on your own slip, see How do I check my payslip is correct?.
Frequently asked questions
What is the teacher pay rise for September 2026?
3.5% on all pay ranges and allowances from 1 September 2026, with a 5% rise for the minimum of the unqualified teacher range in the rest of England. A further 3% is due from September 2027. The government accepted these recommendations in full.
What is M1 on the teacher pay scale in 2026/27?
From 1 September 2026, M1 is £34,069 in the rest of England, £35,602 in the London Fringe, £39,196 in Outer London and £41,729 in Inner London. From 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 it was £32,916 in the rest of England.
When will the new teacher pay rates be on my payslip?
The Department for Education says the STPCD 2026 will be published in mid-October for schools to implement, with the award backdated to 1 September 2026. Your school may pay the new rate, and arrears, after that.
How much do teachers pay into their pension?
Between 7.4% and 12% of salary, depending on salary band. From 1 April 2026 a salary between £36,199 and £48,727.99 pays 8.9%. Schools pay 28.68%.
Sources
All sources were opened and checked by PayslipIQ on 21 September 2026.
- School Teachers' Review Body (GOV.UK): STRB 36th Report 2026, Appendix F. Recommended pay levels from 1 September 2026. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- Department for Education (GOV.UK): School Teachers' Review Body 36th Report publication page, linking the government's written statement of 1 July 2026 (HCWS171). Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- Department for Education: Teacher pay: everything you need to know about the latest multi-year pay award, 16 September 2026. STPCD 2026 timing and backdating. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- Department for Education (GOV.UK): School teachers' pay and conditions document 2025 and publication page. 2025/26 statutory values. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- Teachers' Pensions: Calculating contributions. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- HMRC (GOV.UK): Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 and Income Tax rates. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
Disclaimer
PayslipIQ provides educational guidance based on published government and scheme information. It is not regulated financial, tax or pensions advice. Until the STPCD 2026 is published, the September 2026 figures are the accepted STRB recommendations rather than statutory rates. For pay-policy or contractual questions, speak to your school, your union or Teachers' Pensions.
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Check my payslip freePayslipIQ provides educational information and estimated calculations only. It does not provide tax, legal, financial, payroll, accounting, pension, benefits or employment advice. Always verify your payslip, tax code, deductions and take-home pay with your employer's payroll department, HMRC, your pension provider, a qualified accountant, tax adviser or another appropriately qualified professional.