What do teachers get paid? 2024 has brought new strikes and new stresses over pay. Knowing the facts about your pay is the first step to being empowered.
Teachers’ pay scale and deductions aren’t a secret but for those contemplating a career change, or students trying to decide on a future, knowing the salary can be a big factor in deciding what career you are considering. Let’s deep dive into what no one wants to talk about … what do teachers get paid?
I hope this article helps you to see what you should expect to be paid each year and each month, as well as what happens to your salary as deductions are taken out.
If you are wondering if teaching is the next stage for you, check out this article: PGCE English: Is teaching the right job for you?
If you are on a temporary contract, or are embarking on substitute teaching then check out this article, which tells you all the details you need to know about how much and when substitute teachers get paid:
What do teachers get paid in Northern Ireland in 2024?
Teachers' pay scales in Northern Ireland
Annual salaries for teachers are well-publicised. The tables below show the annual salary for a teacher in Northern Ireland at different points on the salary scale (England, Wales and Scotland salary scales vary depending on the region – check here for England, here for Wales and here for Scotland).
In Northern Ireland, after you complete your PGCE or BEd and begin your first teaching post, you start on the Main Pay Scale. There are six salary points on this scale (MPS): M1 – M6. Note the update: as of April 2024, there are only five salary points, as M1 has been removed.
At the end of your M6 year, you can, and should, apply to progress onto the Upper Pay Scale (UPS). The Upper Pay Scale has three points, and you remain at each point for two years until UPS3, which is the highest basic salary point for a classroom teacher in Northern Ireland (i.e. for a classroom teaching job without additional paid responsibilities).
Update April 2024: The NI Executive has (finally) agreed and ratified a new pay deal for teachers which includes back pay for three years at different rates. You can read more about the specifics here, but the tables below have been updated to reflect the new pay scales for 2023/24.
Northern Ireland Teachers' Pay Scales 2023-24
Main Pay Scale (MPS) Northern Ireland:
| Main Pay Scale | Annual Salary (OLD) | Annual Salary (NEW) |
| M1 | £24,137 | |
| M2 | £26,045 | £30,000 |
| M3 | £28,139 | £32,065 |
| M4 | £30,305 | £34,671 |
| M5 | £32,693 | £37,092 |
| M6 | £35,277 | £39,945 |
Upper Pay Scale (UPS) Northern Ireland:
| Upper Pay Scale | Annual Salary (OLD) | Annual Salary (NEW) |
| UPS1 | £38,216 | £43,190 |
| UPS2 | £39,630 | £44,751 |
| UPS3 | £41,094 | £46,367 |
How much are long-term temporary teachers paid in Northern Ireland?
Teachers in Northern Ireland who have a long-term contract (one full academic year or more) should be paid monthly via EA (the Education Authority), and so the information above should apply. In these long-term contracts, each month is an equal division (one-twelfth) of the annual salary.
What deductions come out of a teacher's pay in NI?
Getting your payslip can be a disheartening experience if you are not fully aware of the deductions. Tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, and student loan repayments can all add up to a substantial chunk of your pay, so I always think it’s best to know in advance what to expect.
The table below gives you some examples which are based on published figures are the time of posting this article in April 2024. Numbers may vary slightly based on your tax code, whether you have other incomes, whether you have worked other jobs in this particular tax year, etc … these are just illustrations and may not be exact.
To help you to calculate your own income deductions, here are some numbers to work with:
Tax
UK Tax: 20% of earnings above the tax free allowance of £12570 (the table assumes the tax free allowance is divided equally by 12 months, so 20% of income above £1,047.50).
National Insurance
UK National Insurance (note: NI rates have changed a lot this year, so the numbers here are based on April 2024 rates): 0% on earnings up to £1,048 per month. 8% on income between £1,048-£4,189 per month. 2% on income above £4,189 per month.
Pension
Teacher’s Pension contributions: there are different rates between 7.4% and 11.7% based on your annual salary. Again, you should check the rates for yourself to see what you would repay.
Student Loan
Student loan repayments: 9% of income above £2,082 per month if you are on plan 1, or 9% of income above £2,274 if you are on plan 2. You will have to check with the Student Loan Company, or the Gov.uk website to check which plan you are on. I am on Plan 1 as I am a Northern Irish student who started their loan after September 1998. The table below is based on repayments for Plan 1. If you don’t have a student loan, ignore that part and enjoy the good feeling!
Teachers' pay and deductions in Northern Ireland (MPS1-UPS3)
Scroll across to view the full table.
| Salary Point | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Monthly Tax | Monthly National Insurance | Monthly Pension | Monthly Student Loan | Monthly Total Deductions | Monthly Take Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 | 30000.00 | 2500.00 | 290.40 | 116.16 | 185.00 | 37.62 | 629.18 | 1870.82 |
| M3 | 32065.00 | 2672.08 | 324.82 | 129.93 | 197.73 | 53.11 | 705.59 | 1966.50 |
| M4 | 34671.00 | 2889.25 | 368.25 | 147.30 | 248.48 | 72.65 | 836.68 | 2052.57 |
| M5 | 37092.00 | 3091.00 | 408.60 | 163.44 | 265.83 | 90.81 | 928.68 | 2162.32 |
| M6 | 39945.00 | 3328.75 | 456.15 | 182.46 | 286.27 | 112.21 | 1037.09 | 2291.66 |
| UPS1 | 43190.00 | 3599.17 | 510.23 | 204.09 | 309.53 | 136.55 | 1160.40 | 2438.77 |
| UPS2 | 44751.00 | 3729.25 | 536.25 | 214.50 | 320.72 | 148.25 | 1219.72 | 2509.53 |
| UPS3 | 46367.00 | 3863.92 | 563.18 | 225.27 | 370.94 | 160.37 | 1319.77 | 2544.15 |
For comparison, here are some other starting salaries:
Fully qualified nurse on NHS band 5: £27,055
Police officer in Northern Ireland: £28,551
Trainee firefighter with NIFRS: £27,178
Classroom assistant (SEN): £23,500
(Note: these are based on some quick research and are correct as of April 2024 … I’m happy to be corrected in the comments below, or click here to contact me).
I hope this helps you if you are starting as a teacher, or wondering whether this is the job and income for you. Teaching is a brilliant job which pays a comfortable salary (in my humble opinion), although inflation in the last two years has changed that substantially. But you will never be a millionaire on a teacher’s salary alone. Go into any job or career with your eyes open and decide for yourself if you can live with the remuneration.
When do permanent teachers get paid in Northern Ireland in 2024?
Permanent teachers in Northern Ireland get paid on the last working day of the month. This is also the case for temporary teachers who are working on a long-term contract (one year or more) who are paid monthly by EA (the Education Authority).
That means payday for these teachers falls on the following days in 2024:
| Month Worked | Payday |
| January 2024 | Wednesday 31st January 2024 |
| February 2024 | Thursday 29th February 2024 |
| March 2024 | Friday 29th March 2024 |
| April 2024 | Tuesday 30th April 2024 |
| May 2024 | Friday 31st May 2024 |
| June 2024 | Friday 28th June 2024 |
| July 2024 | Wednesday 31st July 2024 |
| August 2024 | Friday 30th August 2024 |
| September 2024 | Monday 30th September 2024 |
| October 2024 | Thursday 31st October 2024 |
| November 2024 | Friday 29th November 2024 |
| December 2024 | Monday 23rd December 2024 (often EA pays salaries before Christmas) |
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