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Teaching Assistant Pay UK 2026/27

Teaching assistant earnings are usually term-time and NJC-based, so actual annual pay is lower than full-time equivalent figures. HLTA progression is the main non-teaching route to higher TA pay.

Calculate your take-home →See salary breakdown

At a Glance

  • Level 1 / Unqualified TA£1,830 / mo
    of £25,614 gross a year
  • Level 2–3 TA£2,010 / mo
    of £28,608 gross a year
  • Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)£2,281 / mo
    of £33,119 gross a year
Take-homeTaxNI

Most teaching assistants are employed term-time only (39 weeks) and paid on NJC Local Government scales, so actual annual pay is typically around 80% of the FTE equivalent shown.

HLTAs who cover classes, lead interventions, and support other TAs are paid at higher grades and have a distinct role profile within schools.

TA roles also act as an entry route into wider school careers, with many staff progressing into teacher training through school-based pathways.

Teaching Assistant Salary Breakdown UK 2026/27

The table below shows typical teaching assistant salaries across experience levels and regions, alongside estimated take-home pay after income tax and National Insurance. Click any gross salary figure to open it in the calculator.

LevelNational GrossNational Take-HomeMonthly (National)London GrossLondon Take-Home
Level 1 / Unqualified TA£25,614£21,963£1,830£29,614£24,843
Level 2–3 TA£28,608£24,118£2,010£33,608£27,718
Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)£33,119£27,366£2,281£38,119£30,966

How Teaching Assistant Pay Works in the UK

Most TAs work term-time only (39 weeks); actual annual pay is approximately 80% of the FTE figure; for example an FTE of £28,608 equates to around £22,900 actual annual pay

NJC 2026/27 pay spine (3.3% award from April 2026) starts at SCP 3: £25,614 FTE; councils set their own TA grades, but HLTA posts are commonly placed around SCP 19–23 (£33,119–£35,570 FTE)

London weighting varies by employer: London boroughs set their own inner and outer London pay, and schools on the edge of London may pay a smaller fringe allowance

Special needs TAs providing 1:1 support for EHC plan children are in high demand and can negotiate slightly above NJC rates

Teaching assistants are auto-enrolled into the LGPS (Local Government Pension Scheme), a defined benefit scheme

HLTA status requires a formal assessment process (approximately £800–£1,200) and is the main route to higher TA pay without retraining as a teacher

Income Tax and National Insurance in 2026/27

Like all UK workers, teaching assistants salaries are subject to income tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions. In the 2026/27 tax year:

Income Tax Bands
Up to £12,5700% (Personal Allowance)
£12,571 – £50,27020% (Basic Rate)
£50,271 – £125,14040% (Higher Rate)
Above £125,14045% (Additional Rate)
Employee National Insurance
Up to £12,5700%
£12,570 – £50,2708%
Above £50,2702%
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Use the calculator above to see your exact take-home pay after all deductions, including pension contributions and student loan repayments if applicable.

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Take-home calculator

Your take-home pay

Enter your salary and we'll break down income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and your final take-home for 2026/27.

Your pay

per year
per year

Bonuses, commission, overtime, capital gains, investments and similar.

Your take-home pay

£1,924a month

£23,089 a year · £444 a week

Out of £2,384 gross a month

  • Take-home pay£1,92480.7%
  • Your pension+ £72 from your employer£1195.0%
  • Income tax£24310.2%
  • National Insurance£974.1%
HMRC 2026/27 rates, updated 6 April 2026
Pension, region, student loan, State Pension age
%
%

Try changing your contributions to see how it affects everything.

Where you pay tax
State Pension age

68 applies if you were born after 5 April 1978.

Explore your finances

Model your expenses, project your wealth, and find your path to financial independence, using the pay figures above.

Your monthly spending

Essentials

£per month
Housing, bills, council tax, food.

Everything else

£per month
Things you choose to pay for.

Your plan

The earliest you can retire with your workplace pension is usually 55 (rising to 57 from 6 April 2028). You won't get your state pension until your mid or late 60s, depending on your current age. Tip: try playing around with your target retirement age to see how things change.
£
The total balance of all your existing pension pots.
£
The total balance of any existing ISA Savings accounts (GIAs are not currently supported)

Financial independence

%
% of today
%
Financial independence means having enough saved that your outgoings are covered for the rest of your life.

Where your £2,710 a month goes

  • Essentials£1,750
  • Everything else£500
  • Tax and NI£341
  • Pension£119
  • Left to invest in your ISA£0

Projected wealth

Estimated income over 50 years, in today's money, with a 5% annual return and 0.35% yearly platform and fund fees.

Projected pension

Your pension pot over 31 years at three growth rates, after 0.35% fees, in today's money.

Calculations
  • FI Target = Annual outgoings (£21,600) * Years needed for 4.00% SWR (25.00) = £540,000
  • Invested annual pension = £2,289
  • Invested annual surplus = £0
  • Inflation of 2.5% / year
  • Assumes New State Pension, payments increasing with inflation (2.5% / year)
  • Assumes student loans last 30 years max
  • Assumes a flex-drawdown pension for illustration purposes
  • Assumes you draw down pension up to the higher rate bracket (£50,270), then draw down your S&S ISA
  • Pension lump sums are not included

Take-home pay by salary

See the full 2026/27 breakdown for common salaries.