What is take-home for a full-time teaching assistant?

On the £21,239 full-time median with a 5% pension contribution, take-home is approximately £17,700/year (about £1,480/month) after 20% Income Tax on pay above £12,570, 8% National Insurance and pension. Term-time-only contracts pay less than this because you are paid for around 39 weeks plus pro-rated holiday, not a full year.

Why is my teaching assistant pay lower than the £21,239 figure?

The £21,239 is the ONS full-time-equivalent median. Most TA contracts are term-time-only, so the annual salary is scaled down to reflect roughly 39 working weeks plus a pro-rated holiday allowance. A £21,239 FTE on a typical term-time contract often translates to around £16,000-£18,000 of actual annual pay.

Do teaching assistants get the Teachers Pension Scheme?

No - the Teachers Pension Scheme is for qualified teachers. School support staff, including TAs, are normally members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), a defined-benefit CARE scheme with tiered employee contributions starting at 5.5% of pensionable pay for the lowest earnings band.

Teaching Assistant Salary 2026/27: What You Take Home

Teaching assistants earn a full-time median of £21,239 (ONS ASHE 2025), with most roles paying £18,000 to £27,000. Because the large majority of TA contracts are term-time-only, actual annual pay is usually pro-rated below the full-time figure. The role sits entirely inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Typical pay & take-home

Median gross: £21,239
Typical range: £18,000–£27,000
Take-home at median: £18,812

At the median for this profession, you earn 46% below the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you in the bottom 9% of UK earners.

See exact take-home for £21,239 →

What influences teaching assistant (ta) pay

Full-time equivalent pay for teaching assistants had an ONS ASHE 2025 median of £21,239 (provisional, Table 14.7a Annual pay Gross, SOC 2020 code 6112), with the 25th to 75th percentile FTE range running £18,789 to £24,152. But the headline number most TAs actually receive is lower, because the majority are on term-time-only contracts - paid for ~39 working weeks plus a pro-rated holiday entitlement rather than a full 52 weeks. The "all employees" median (which captures part-time and term-time patterns) was only £18,024.

From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage rises to £12.71/hour, giving a full-time (37.5 hours x 52 weeks) floor of £24,784. Because many TA pay points sit near or below this floor once annualised, the NLW uplift effectively compresses the bottom of the TA scale. Higher-level teaching assistants (HLTAs), SEN/1:1 support and cover supervisors sit toward the top of the range.

A full-time TA on the £21,239 median is well inside the 20% basic-rate band: after the £12,570 personal allowance, pay is taxed at 20% Income Tax plus 8% Class 1 NI up to £50,270. Most school support staff are enrolled in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) - a Career Average (CARE) defined-benefit scheme with employee contributions banded from 5.5% at the lowest pay tier, not the Teachers Pension Scheme (which covers qualified teachers).

Career progression

Trainee / apprentice TA (Level 2): around National Living Wage FTE (£24,784 full-time equivalent).
Teaching assistant (Level 2-3, term-time): £18,000-£23,000 actual pay depending on hours + weeks.
Higher-level teaching assistant (HLTA): £22,000-£27,000 FTE.
SEN / 1:1 or cover supervisor: £23,000-£28,000 FTE.
Progression to unqualified teacher or into training as a qualified teacher (see Graduate Teacher).

Frequently asked questions

What is take-home for a full-time teaching assistant?: On the £21,239 full-time median with a 5% pension contribution, take-home is approximately £17,700/year (about £1,480/month) after 20% Income Tax on pay above £12,570, 8% National Insurance and pension. Term-time-only contracts pay less than this because you are paid for around 39 weeks plus pro-rated holiday, not a full year.
Why is my teaching assistant pay lower than the £21,239 figure?: The £21,239 is the ONS full-time-equivalent median. Most TA contracts are term-time-only, so the annual salary is scaled down to reflect roughly 39 working weeks plus a pro-rated holiday allowance. A £21,239 FTE on a typical term-time contract often translates to around £16,000-£18,000 of actual annual pay.
Do teaching assistants get the Teachers Pension Scheme?: No - the Teachers Pension Scheme is for qualified teachers. School support staff, including TAs, are normally members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), a defined-benefit CARE scheme with tiered employee contributions starting at 5.5% of pensionable pay for the lowest earnings band.

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