Updated 16 October 2026. This guide is about England. Figures are gross annual amounts, before deductions. They are not take-home pay, and they are not an offer of employment.
What is a newly qualified teacher paid in 2026?
There is no separate NQT pay scale. A teacher with qualified teacher status in a maintained school in England is paid on the main pay range. Get Into Teaching says that from September 2026 the minimum is £34,069 outside London, and higher in London. The same page says the pay award is still subject to a statutory consultation, and that a school can choose how to implement it. Academies can set their own pay.
Early career teacher, or ECT, is the current name. NQT is the old name. Induction is a programme against the Teachers’ Standards. It is not a salary grade. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not covered here.
Published minimums from 1 September 2026
These are the minimums in the qualified teacher salary table on Get Into Teaching, which says the amounts apply from 1 September 2026. The page also says minimum starting salaries will be over £34,000, or more in London. The table is more precise than that sentence. Use the table.
| Area | Published minimum |
|---|---|
| England, excluding London | £34,069 |
| London fringe | £35,602 |
| Outer London | £39,196 |
| Inner London | £41,729 |
A school can pay above the minimum. The maximum column on that GOV.UK table is not the starting salary. It runs much higher because it reaches the top of the published qualified range, not the first point of the main range. Advisory main and upper points, and the status of the 2026 award, are kept on the teacher pay guide. Check school teachers’ pay and conditions and calculate teacher pay before treating a point as the final statutory figure. The calculator says it is indicative, and that the award is subject to consultation.
Unqualified teachers are on a different range
A teacher without qualified teacher status is not paid the minimums above. Get Into Teaching publishes a separate unqualified range. The minimums and maximums below are that range, not an ECT salary. The old version of this page mixed the two. Do not add them together.
| Area | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| England, excluding London | £23,732 | £36,494 |
| London fringe | £24,909 | £38,004 |
| Outer London | £27,727 | £40,831 |
| Inner London | £29,336 | £42,429 |
Qualified teacher status explains what QTS is. A PGCE on its own is not the same thing.
Induction is not a pay point
Statutory induction in a relevant school is the early career teacher programme. A supply placement of less than one term cannot count towards it. A teacher who has not completed induction can do that short-term supply in a relevant school only for five years from the award of QTS. After that, the June 2026 guidance says they need a post of one term or longer and must be undertaking induction. Academies and some other settings are treated differently. Read Induction for early career teachers (England) and the June 2026 statutory guidance.
Extra payments
Get Into Teaching says a teaching and learning responsibility payment depends on the responsibility, and that you could earn up to an extra £17,819. The school decides the amount. A special educational needs allowance is also a school decision under the pay document. The Teachers’ Pension Scheme is described on the same page as a defined-benefit scheme with employer contributions of 28.6%. That is a scheme rule, not a figure Impact adds to a placement.
Supply work
An agency assignment does not automatically pay the minimum in the table. Short-notice teachers employed by a school, and teachers paid through an agency or an umbrella company, are different arrangements. Ask who employs you, whether a figure is gross, and how holiday pay is shown. The supply pay guide is the page for that comparison. Agency workers: your rights.
Register
Register with Impact Teachers if you want supply or a longer booking in a London school. Say whether you have QTS, where you can work, and whether you still have induction to complete. Registration does not guarantee an interview or a placement, and it does not set a salary.
How an agency booking works is covered in teaching agencies in London. Vacancies are on teaching jobs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the starting salary for a newly qualified teacher in England in 2026?
There is no separate NQT pay scale. For a teacher with qualified teacher status in a maintained school, Get Into Teaching publishes minimums from 1 September 2026 of £34,069 in England excluding London, £35,602 on the London fringe, £39,196 in outer London and £41,729 in inner London. The page says the award is subject to a statutory consultation and that schools can choose how to implement it. Academies can set their own pay.
Is an NQT the same as an early career teacher?
Early career teacher is the current name. NQT is the old name. Induction is not a separate salary scale. In a relevant school it is the statutory induction programme against the Teachers’ Standards.
Do these figures apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
No. This page is about England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own arrangements.
Does supply teaching pay the starting salary on this page?
Not automatically. A school-employed short-notice teacher and an agency assignment are different. Ask who employs you and whether the figure is gross. A supply placement of less than one term does not count towards early career induction.
