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Average History Teacher Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A history teacher in United Kingdom earns about 60,500 GBP a year. That's 13% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 27,700 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 92,900 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a history teacher make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
60,500 GBP
5,041 GBP per month
Lowest reported
27,700 GBP
2,308 GBP per month
Highest reported
92,900 GBP
7,741 GBP per month

A typical history teacher working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,041 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 27,700 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 92,900 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior history teacher working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the history teacher salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How history teacher pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all history teachers in United Kingdom earn less than 60,200 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 41,300 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 78,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of history teachers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 27,700 GBP. The highest stretch to 92,900 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

27,700
Low
60,200
Median
92,900
High
41,300
25th
78,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

History teacher pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a history teacher in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical history teacher salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    35,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +28% from previous
    45,300 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +35% from previous
    61,300 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    74,600 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +7% from previous
    79,600 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    85,500 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 35%. That is the point at which a history teacher typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

History teacher pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving history teacher pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average history teacher salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    41,700 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +31% from previous
    54,700 GBP
  • PhD
    +69% from previous
    92,300 GBP

History teacher gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male history teachers in United Kingdom earn an average of 60,200 GBP a year, while female history teachers earn around 57,800 GBP. That works out to a 4% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

History Teacher gender pay gap

4%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 60,200 GBP
Women 57,800 GBP

Pay raises for a history teacher in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 11% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

History teacher bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

33%

33% of history teachers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a history teacher a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 67% of history teachers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

History teacher: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

History teacher salary by city and region in United Kingdom

History teacher pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Birmingham
  • Bristol
  • Sheffield
  • London
  • Liverpool
  • Bradford
  • Glasgow
  • Somerset
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion112,700 GBP116,400 GBP54,100-176,300 GBP
ScotlandRegion83,800 GBP87,600 GBP39,600-130,500 GBP
BirminghamCity73,100 GBP78,500 GBP32,900-114,900 GBP
BristolCity71,800 GBP73,500 GBP33,800-111,700 GBP
SheffieldCity71,800 GBP72,700 GBP33,800-111,700 GBP
LondonCity71,200 GBP77,000 GBP31,700-111,700 GBP
LiverpoolCity70,100 GBP72,400 GBP32,300-107,700 GBP
BradfordCity70,100 GBP63,800 GBP34,900-105,200 GBP
GlasgowCity70,000 GBP63,500 GBP35,400-102,700 GBP
SomersetCity69,800 GBP69,800 GBP33,300-109,000 GBP
CardiffCity69,200 GBP73,200 GBP32,600-109,700 GBP
CoventryCity68,200 GBP68,200 GBP33,800-109,000 GBP
ManchesterCity67,800 GBP65,200 GBP34,900-105,200 GBP
NottinghamCity67,400 GBP69,600 GBP30,200-105,800 GBP
SouthamptonCity66,900 GBP70,000 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
SwanseaCity66,900 GBP63,500 GBP34,000-103,600 GBP
EdinburghCity66,900 GBP68,500 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
BelfastCity66,700 GBP65,700 GBP30,700-102,700 GBP
BrightonCity66,100 GBP67,000 GBP33,000-102,700 GBP
LeedsCity66,100 GBP61,500 GBP37,100-102,700 GBP
NewportCity64,900 GBP69,700 GBP27,300-100,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity64,900 GBP59,800 GBP32,200-96,400 GBP
PortsmouthCity64,900 GBP70,900 GBP31,200-102,700 GBP
LeicesterCity64,400 GBP64,100 GBP35,300-100,700 GBP
NewcastleCity64,200 GBP63,800 GBP32,600-100,700 GBP
PlymouthCity64,200 GBP64,200 GBP32,300-100,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity63,800 GBP66,100 GBP29,100-100,700 GBP
OxfordCity63,700 GBP56,400 GBP33,500-95,300 GBP
DerbyCity63,200 GBP63,800 GBP31,300-97,400 GBP
CambridgeCity63,200 GBP66,900 GBP27,700-95,400 GBP
AberdeenCity62,500 GBP59,100 GBP29,600-94,900 GBP
YorkCity62,100 GBP58,600 GBP33,200-91,600 GBP
ArmaghCity61,800 GBP59,800 GBP30,200-97,200 GBP
PooleCity61,700 GBP63,200 GBP29,200-95,600 GBP
NewryCity61,400 GBP57,800 GBP29,600-92,300 GBP
WolverhamptonCity60,600 GBP66,400 GBP27,200-98,700 GBP
NorwichCity60,200 GBP59,900 GBP30,800-95,300 GBP
ChesterCity59,100 GBP57,800 GBP29,600-91,600 GBP
SalisburyCity59,000 GBP57,200 GBP29,200-91,000 GBP
DundeeCity58,800 GBP59,800 GBP30,800-92,500 GBP
DerryCity58,800 GBP64,100 GBP26,300-92,600 GBP
LincolnCity58,600 GBP58,600 GBP31,200-92,100 GBP
ExeterCity58,600 GBP52,300 GBP30,100-88,300 GBP
LisburnCity58,500 GBP52,300 GBP30,200-85,800 GBP
TruroCity57,800 GBP54,300 GBP32,900-85,700 GBP
GloucesterCity57,200 GBP55,500 GBP27,300-89,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity57,000 GBP57,100 GBP25,800-86,800 GBP
CanterburyCity56,900 GBP54,600 GBP29,600-88,300 GBP
StirlingCity56,900 GBP60,200 GBP27,400-92,000 GBP
InvernessCity56,100 GBP51,300 GBP29,900-83,300 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion55,600 GBP49,700 GBP30,100-83,700 GBP
RiponCity55,200 GBP51,300 GBP29,200-87,200 GBP
WinchesterCity55,200 GBP55,200 GBP27,400-83,000 GBP
WakefieldCity55,100 GBP53,300 GBP27,200-84,500 GBP
AbingdonCity54,900 GBP54,900 GBP26,500-84,300 GBP
St DavidsCity54,700 GBP51,400 GBP30,100-83,300 GBP
WalesRegion54,200 GBP55,700 GBP29,600-87,700 GBP
BangorCity54,200 GBP54,200 GBP29,600-84,800 GBP
StromnessCity53,300 GBP56,400 GBP24,200-86,100 GBP
DurhamCity52,800 GBP58,200 GBP23,600-87,400 GBP
WellsCity52,600 GBP52,600 GBP27,600-80,800 GBP
KirkwallCity52,300 GBP52,300 GBP27,000-84,200 GBP
StrontianCity51,300 GBP49,200 GBP26,300-80,900 GBP

History Teacher in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a history teacher make per month in United Kingdom?

    A history teacher in United Kingdom earns about 5,041 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 60,500 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a history teacher in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level history teachers in United Kingdom start near 27,700 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 92,900 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 41,300 and 78,200 GBP.

  • Is the median history teacher salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 60,200 GBP, lower than the average of 60,500 GBP. Half of history teachers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for history teachers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a history teacher in United Kingdom earn around 4% more than women on average (60,200 vs 57,800 GBP a year).

  • Do history teachers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 33% of history teachers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do history teachers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a history teacher about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do history teachers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A history teacher in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 11% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.