Profession · 2026/27
Graduate Teacher (NQT) Salary 2026/27
First-year teacher pay in England follows STPCD. Rest-of-England Main Scale M1 is £32,916 (STPCD 2025, in force for 2026/27) with large premia in London. Under the Early Career Framework it's a two-year induction programme.
Typical pay & take-home
- Median gross
- £32,916
- Typical range
- £32,916–£35,000
- Take-home at median
- £27,219
England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn 12% below the UK full-time median (£37,430), placing you in the bottom 38% of UK earners.
What influences graduate teacher (nqt / ect) pay
STPCD sets six spine points on the Main Pay Range (MPR). In most of England you progress M1 → M6 over six years, reaching £45,352 (STPCD 2025). London has uplifted scales — Inner London M1 £40,317, Outer London M1 £37,870, Fringe M1 £34,398.
Welsh teachers follow Welsh Government pay (closely tracks England rest-of-country). Scottish teachers have their own SNCT scales set independently of STPCD - typically around 2-5% above England at equivalent seniority. Northern Ireland uses its own close-to-England structure.
Teachers Pension Scheme contributions sit in the lower tiers (8.6-9.6%) for most NQT pay points, increasing for higher salaries. Contributions are net pay arrangement so you get full Income Tax relief but no NI relief - similar structure to NHS.
Career progression
- M1 (first year): £32,916 rest-of-England, £40,317 inner London.
- M6 (top of Main Scale after 6 years): £45,352 rest-of-England.
- UPS (Upper Pay Scale — post-threshold): UPS1 £47,472 up to UPS3 £51,048.
- TLR (Teaching and Learning Responsibility points), leadership group (HoD, HoY, deputy head).
Frequently asked questions
- What does an NQT earn after tax outside London 2026/27?
- M1 gross £32,916 with 9.1% Teachers Pension → approximately £22,500-£23,000 take-home per year after IT, NI and pension. Our salary calculator with Pension = 9.1% gives the exact number.
- Is a teacher pension a good deal at this salary?
- Yes - the Teachers Pension Scheme is a CARE (Career Average Revalued Earnings) DB scheme accruing 1/57th of career-average pensionable pay per year. At teacher-level contributions it's typically equivalent to an employer contribution of 20%+. Strong value, especially early career.