What is the salary for a teacher in Scotland?

In September, Scottish teachers secured a pay rise of 4.27 per cent backdated to August; now, pay scales have been officially updated.

The starting salary for teachers in Scotland who successfully complete their probation is now over £40,000, with probationers receiving just over £33,500.

Depute and headteacher salaries, meanwhile, now start at over £60,000, rising to a maximum of £115,539.

The deal also impacts other professionals working in Scottish schools including instrumental music instructors, educational psychologists and quality improvement officers. Details of the impact of the pay deal on their earnings are also set out in the tables listed below.

Teachers working in Scotland can find a full list of pay scales below.

• Main grade teacher pay scale
• Depute and headteacher pay scale
• Principal teacher pay scale
• Chartered teacher pay scale
• Lead teacher pay scale
• Instrumental music instructor pay scale
• Educational psychology pay scale
• Education support officer pay scale
• Quality improvement officer and manager pay scales
   

For those teaching in England, take a look at the 2024 English teacher pay scales.

Main grade teacher pay scale

Teachers on the main pay scale in Scotland now earn a salary of between £40,305 and £50,589. Those starting out in the job as probationers (Scotland provides eligible new teachers with a guaranteed one-year probationary post in a local authority school, under the Teacher Induction Scheme) now earn £33,594.

Depute and headteacher pay scale

School leaders in Scotland at depute level and above will be paid between £62,556 and £115,539.

Principal teacher pay scale

Principal teachers now earn a salary between £55,155 and £71,181.

Chartered teacher pay scale

The chartered teacher scheme - for teachers who wanted to expand their role without leaving behind classroom teaching - ended in 2012. There are, therefore, an ever-diminishing number of these teachers in the system. However, the roughly 500 who are still working in Scottish primary, secondary and special schools now earn a salary between £52,158 and £62,022.

Lead teacher pay scale

The role of lead teacher came into being in 2021. It was intended to provide promotion routes for teachers who wanted to further their careers without moving into school management, but according to the 2023 teacher census, the equivalent of just seven full-time lead teachers are in post across all of Scotland’s primaries and secondaries.

Lead teachers now earn a salary between £57,429 and £81,579.

Instrumental music instructor pay scale

Instrumental music instructors in Scotland will be paid between £35,190 and £46,773.

Educational psychology pay scales

Educational psychologists in Scotland will earn between £56,763 and £72,204. Senior educational psychologists will earn £76,701 and depute and principal educational psychologists will earn between £76,701 and £88,806.

Education support officer pay scale

Education support officers will be paid between £57,429 and £62,022.

Quality improvement officer and manager pay scales

Quality improvement officers will earn between £73,110 and £81,579; quality improvement managers will be paid £85,104.

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