Headteacher salary UK 2026: pay scales, London and take-home pay
Typical full-time pay for head teachers and principals is £72,192, with a simple average of £73,342. Compare the ONS occupation range with England leadership scales, London differences, school size and estimated monthly take-home.
How to read the official headteacher salary figure
The ONS group covers head teachers and principals across the UK. It is a national employee distribution, while actual school leadership pay is set through different systems in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
School group, pupil numbers, phase, location, responsibility and employer type can all move a salary. The national midpoint is useful market context, but a real appointment should be checked against the relevant pay framework and the school's published range.
Use the ONS distribution and the relevant pay framework together. The ONS figure is UK-wide annual gross employee pay, while statutory or negotiated scales differ between the UK nations. In England, the individual school range is shaped by the leadership framework, school group, location and the responsibilities attached to the post.
Which school leadership jobs this figure covers
The source covers head teachers and principals, not every teacher or member of a school leadership team.
Good fit for this page
- Head teachers, school principals and closely related senior education leaders
- State and other employed leadership roles within the ONS group
- Gross employee earnings for head teachers and principals across the official UK occupation group
Use a different comparison for
- Classroom teachers, deputy heads or assistant heads compared as the same occupation
- A single England leadership point treated as a UK-wide salary
- Consultancy, inspection or trust executive income treated as headteacher pay
Lower, typical and higher headteacher pay
£11,431 separates the median from the published 75th percentile. Two salaries inside that band can still be far apart, so the ladder alone cannot place your own pay or show the after-tax gap to the next point.
- Lower-middle pay25th percentile£59,307
- Typical payMedian£72,192
- Higher pay75th percentile£83,623
Moving from the median to the published 75th percentile is £11,431 gross a year, or about £553 more a month after standard tax and employee National Insurance.
Compare your confirmed salary with the official head teacher range, then see take-home pay and True Wage around hours, travel and pension deductions.
From the median to the published 75th percentile is £11,431 gross a year, worth about £553 more a month after standard tax and employee National Insurance.
Official headteacher salary points used in this guide
See the published salary points
| Pay point | Annual salary | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | £59,307 | Below the occupation midpoint |
| Median | £72,192 | The published midpoint |
| 75th percentile | £83,623 | Above the occupation midpoint |
| Mean average | £73,342 | Simple average, affected by high salaries |
The paid report estimates a position using the verified occupation data. It does not claim an exact ranking of every worker.
Headteacher salary per month and after tax
At the £72,192 occupation median, gross pay is about £6,016 a month. A standard 2026/27 estimate gives take-home pay of about £4,369 a month after tax and employee National Insurance. The simple average is shown separately where ONS published it.
The estimate uses the standard Personal Allowance, Income Tax bands for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and employee National Insurance. It does not include pension, student loan, salary sacrifice or a different tax code. Scottish Income Tax is different.
Typical headteacher salary and the wider leadership range
The median is £72,192, between a lower-middle point of £59,307 and an upper-middle point of £83,623. The simple average is £73,342, close to the midpoint, while statutory leadership ranges vary by school group and location.
The range reflects different school groups, phases, locations and levels of responsibility. Large schools, complex settings and multi-school leadership can sit at different points from a smaller single-school post.
Leadership scale, London and secondary head teacher salaries
Headteacher pay is structured around the role and school context, not one national starting number.
| Leadership range | England outside London | London fringe | Outer London | Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | £53,586 | £55,060 | £57,837 | £63,709 |
| Maximum | £148,829 | £150,301 | £153,042 | £158,863 |
These accepted England leadership ranges apply from 1 September 2026. A school sets the individual headteacher range within the framework, taking account of the school group and responsibilities. Other UK nations use different arrangements.
Headteacher pay scale
In England, leadership pay is governed by the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. The relevant body sets an individual school range within the statutory framework; other UK nations use their own arrangements.
Headteacher salary in London
London leadership ranges are higher in the England framework, but the ONS figure on this page is UK-wide. Check inner, outer or fringe status and the exact school range.
Secondary headteacher salary
Phase and school size can affect responsibility, but the ONS table does not publish a separate secondary head teacher figure. Use the vacancy range and school group alongside the national distribution.
Useful next step: compare this role with the teacher salary guide, or salary percentile by age.
What usually changes headteacher pay
Headteacher pay follows the size and complexity of the leadership responsibility.
School group and size
Pupil numbers and the school group influence the leadership range in England and are useful context elsewhere.
Phase and complexity
Primary, secondary, special and alternative provision settings can involve different operational and safeguarding demands.
Location and employer
London pay, academy trust structures and national pay systems can move an offer away from the UK-wide midpoint.
Additional responsibility
Executive headship, more than one school, improvement work and trust-wide responsibility should be clearly reflected in the role and pay.
School leadership, working pattern and progression
The National Careers Service says headteachers manage schools and create the conditions for pupils and staff to achieve their best. Duties include strategy, teaching standards, budgets, safeguarding, staff leadership and working with governors or trustees.
Most headteachers progress from qualified teaching and senior leadership roles. The National Professional Qualification for Headship can support preparation, but appointment requirements and leadership development vary.
Experienced heads may lead larger schools, become executive headteachers, work across a trust, move into inspection or take wider education leadership roles. Those steps help explain the upper part of the distribution.
For a meaningful offer comparison, check whether the role covers one school or several, the phase and pupil numbers, the budget, safeguarding demands and the support available from a trust or local authority. Executive headship and trust-wide responsibility should not be compared with a single-school post on title alone.
What to check in a head teacher offer
A head teacher offer should make the school context and leadership range explicit.
- What school group, individual range and pay point apply?
- Does the role cover one school, more than one site or trust-wide responsibility?
- Which safeguarding, finance, staffing and improvement risks sit with the post?
- How do pension, relocation, London weighting and working pattern affect the package?
Where the salary and industry information comes from
The pay figures are from the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14, 2025 provisional edition. They cover full-time employee jobs and do not cover self-employed people. Annual gross pay can include overtime, incentive pay, shift premiums and cash allowances reported through payroll, so it should not be read as guaranteed basic salary.
| Official job group | Head teachers and principals. |
|---|---|
| Quality | ONS marks this full-time estimate as precise. In plain English, this is one of the more dependable estimates in the occupation table. |
| Jobs in the estimate | About 48,000 full-time employee jobs |
| Career and role source | National Careers Service: Headteacher Duties, working pattern, entry routes and progression. View source |
| Career and role source | Department for Education: School teachers’ pay and conditions Statutory leadership pay framework for maintained schools in England. View source |
Where the verified source extract leaves a salary point blank, this page leaves it blank too. A missing upper point is never filled with an estimate.
View the ONS salary tableCheck the 2026/27 tax and NI figuresCompare all 412 occupations
Headteacher salary questions
What is the average headteacher salary in the UK?
Typical full-time pay for head teachers and principals is the £72,192 median. The simple average is £73,342, while the actual school range depends on leadership group, location and the responsibilities of the post.
How much is a headteacher salary per month after tax?
At the £72,192 median, gross pay is about £6,016 per month and a standard 2026/27 estimate gives about £4,369 after Income Tax and employee National Insurance, before pension or other deductions.
What is the headteacher pay scale in England?
Headteacher pay is set within the statutory leadership framework and an individual school range determined for the post. Check the current School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document and the vacancy details.
What is a headteacher salary in London?
England has higher leadership ranges for inner London, outer London and the fringe. This page uses UK-wide ONS data, so it does not claim one London-only salary.
What is a secondary headteacher salary?
ONS does not publish a separate secondary head teacher figure in this table. School group, pupil numbers, phase and responsibility should be checked against the advertised range.
Is £72,192 a good headteacher salary?
It is 85% above the UK full-time median and sits near the middle of the official head teacher distribution. School size and leadership scope decide whether it is appropriate for a particular post.
What do higher-paid head teachers earn?
The upper-middle published point is £83,623. It is the 75th percentile of the UK full-time occupation distribution, not the maximum leadership salary.
Does school size affect a headteacher salary?
Yes. Pupil numbers, school group, phase, complexity and additional responsibility can affect the range set for a post. The vacancy and current national framework provide the role-specific answer; the ONS figure is broader market context.
Are academy principals included in the head teacher figure?
The official occupation is Head teachers and principals, so relevant principal roles may be included. Academy trusts can use different pay arrangements from maintained schools, which makes the advertised range and contract important.