Skip to content
worldsalaries .com

Average Science Teacher Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A science teacher in United Kingdom earns about 61,300 GBP a year. That's 12% 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 29,200 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 93,100 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 science teacher make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
61,300 GBP
5,108 GBP per month
Lowest reported
29,200 GBP
2,433 GBP per month
Highest reported
93,100 GBP
7,758 GBP per month

A typical science teacher working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,108 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 29,200 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 93,100 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 science 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 science teacher salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How science 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 science teachers in United Kingdom earn less than 61,700 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 42,600 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 79,000 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of science teachers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 29,200 GBP. The highest stretch to 93,100 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.

29,200
Low
61,700
Median
93,100
High
42,600
25th
79,000
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Science teacher pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a science 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 science teacher salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    33,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +39% from previous
    46,300 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +33% from previous
    61,500 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +28% from previous
    78,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +5% from previous
    82,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    90,000 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 39%. That is the point at which a science 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.

Science teacher pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving science 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 science teacher salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    42,400 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +37% from previous
    57,900 GBP
  • PhD
    +64% from previous
    95,100 GBP

Science 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 science teachers in United Kingdom earn an average of 61,700 GBP a year, while female science teachers earn around 59,200 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.

Science Teacher gender pay gap

4%

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

Men 61,700 GBP
Women 59,200 GBP

Pay raises for a science 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

Science 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 science teachers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a science 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 science 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

Science 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

Science teacher salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Science 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
  • London
  • Birmingham
  • Sheffield
  • Liverpool
  • Manchester
  • Leeds
  • Leicester
  • Nottingham
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion116,400 GBP117,100 GBP57,200-180,500 GBP
ScotlandRegion87,200 GBP78,700 GBP45,700-128,400 GBP
LondonCity71,000 GBP76,800 GBP34,100-112,700 GBP
BirminghamCity70,100 GBP71,900 GBP32,200-109,000 GBP
SheffieldCity69,600 GBP73,100 GBP35,100-108,200 GBP
LiverpoolCity68,800 GBP66,100 GBP37,200-107,700 GBP
ManchesterCity68,400 GBP68,400 GBP35,100-107,700 GBP
LeedsCity67,800 GBP70,500 GBP34,000-109,700 GBP
LeicesterCity67,500 GBP63,700 GBP34,400-102,700 GBP
NottinghamCity67,200 GBP61,400 GBP36,600-103,600 GBP
GlasgowCity66,900 GBP68,500 GBP31,400-105,200 GBP
NewcastleCity66,700 GBP59,800 GBP36,000-98,300 GBP
SomersetCity65,900 GBP63,200 GBP31,700-100,700 GBP
CardiffCity65,900 GBP63,200 GBP31,700-100,700 GBP
BristolCity65,700 GBP69,400 GBP33,300-105,800 GBP
DerbyCity65,500 GBP61,700 GBP32,900-97,300 GBP
PlymouthCity65,400 GBP68,800 GBP30,000-102,700 GBP
CoventryCity65,100 GBP68,200 GBP30,000-105,200 GBP
SouthamptonCity65,100 GBP60,800 GBP35,300-101,100 GBP
EdinburghCity64,600 GBP58,800 GBP35,300-99,600 GBP
PortsmouthCity64,600 GBP67,800 GBP29,200-102,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity64,400 GBP60,600 GBP33,800-99,700 GBP
BrightonCity64,300 GBP56,600 GBP35,300-94,400 GBP
BelfastCity64,100 GBP64,600 GBP29,400-100,200 GBP
OxfordCity63,900 GBP67,000 GBP29,100-98,000 GBP
BradfordCity63,400 GBP63,400 GBP30,700-99,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity62,600 GBP59,800 GBP32,900-98,800 GBP
SwanseaCity61,500 GBP58,600 GBP33,500-95,300 GBP
NewportCity61,400 GBP63,700 GBP25,800-94,200 GBP
WolverhamptonCity60,700 GBP64,200 GBP26,500-94,300 GBP
PooleCity60,600 GBP58,800 GBP30,600-95,100 GBP
YorkCity60,500 GBP60,500 GBP29,300-93,100 GBP
GloucesterCity60,400 GBP55,400 GBP32,200-88,600 GBP
ExeterCity59,200 GBP59,200 GBP29,200-92,100 GBP
LincolnCity58,800 GBP64,800 GBP29,600-97,200 GBP
ArmaghCity58,800 GBP55,700 GBP30,300-91,700 GBP
NorwichCity58,800 GBP60,600 GBP29,200-93,100 GBP
AberdeenCity58,800 GBP56,100 GBP30,300-90,900 GBP
HartlepoolCity58,700 GBP60,500 GBP26,900-90,300 GBP
DerryCity58,100 GBP51,900 GBP29,100-87,000 GBP
WalesRegion57,800 GBP54,300 GBP32,900-85,700 GBP
CambridgeCity57,400 GBP55,700 GBP30,000-89,800 GBP
DundeeCity57,400 GBP60,900 GBP27,200-88,700 GBP
NewryCity57,200 GBP55,700 GBP29,200-88,300 GBP
ChesterCity57,100 GBP55,600 GBP30,800-87,000 GBP
DurhamCity57,000 GBP61,300 GBP24,200-89,900 GBP
SalisburyCity56,900 GBP54,600 GBP29,600-88,300 GBP
TruroCity56,800 GBP59,500 GBP28,800-89,900 GBP
LisburnCity56,100 GBP56,400 GBP25,800-84,800 GBP
CanterburyCity55,700 GBP58,600 GBP24,800-86,800 GBP
StirlingCity54,600 GBP54,700 GBP27,200-86,600 GBP
AbingdonCity54,600 GBP58,200 GBP23,600-83,300 GBP
RiponCity54,500 GBP54,500 GBP29,600-86,600 GBP
BangorCity54,300 GBP57,000 GBP23,600-81,900 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion54,100 GBP58,700 GBP27,000-88,600 GBP
WakefieldCity53,500 GBP53,300 GBP26,300-81,700 GBP
InvernessCity53,300 GBP51,100 GBP26,100-80,300 GBP
KirkwallCity52,000 GBP54,700 GBP25,300-80,300 GBP
St DavidsCity52,000 GBP52,000 GBP27,800-80,000 GBP
WellsCity51,600 GBP53,600 GBP22,000-79,000 GBP
StrontianCity51,300 GBP51,300 GBP26,500-79,800 GBP
WinchesterCity51,100 GBP51,300 GBP26,500-79,600 GBP
StromnessCity49,300 GBP56,100 GBP23,400-79,800 GBP

Science Teacher in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A science teacher in United Kingdom earns about 5,108 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 61,300 GBP.

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

    Entry-level science teachers in United Kingdom start near 29,200 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 93,100 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 42,600 and 79,000 GBP.

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

    The median is 61,700 GBP, higher than the average of 61,300 GBP. Half of science teachers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a science teacher in United Kingdom earn around 4% more than women on average (61,700 vs 59,200 GBP a year).

  • Do science teachers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

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

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

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

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

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