Understanding Deputy Head Teacher Salary

If you are considering a move into school leadership or comparing salaried offers with hourly-paid roles, the deputy head teacher salary is a key benchmark. Unlike many jobs where you can look up a single national pay point, deputy head pay is set individually by the school’s governing body within a statutory range. This article explains the latest pay scales, how to convert to an hourly rate, and what affects take-home pay.

The Leadership Pay Range

Deputy head teachers are paid on the leadership group pay range. For the 2026/27 school year, the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recommended the following statutory ranges:

• England (excluding London and the Fringe): £53,586 to £148,829
• Inner London: £63,709 to £158,863
• Outer London: (2024 figures: £53,731 to £142,178; 2026/27 rates are expected to be higher)
• Fringe area: (2024 figures: £51,151 to £139,632)

These figures come from the STRB’s 36th Report and are reflected in the salary data available on this site. The governing body chooses where within this span to set the pay range for each deputy head post, based on the school’s size, the headteacher group, and local pay policies.

How Deputy Head Pay Compares to Other Roles

For context, the UK median full-time gross annual pay is about £39,039 (ONS ASHE 2025). A deputy head at the minimum of £53,586 earns roughly 37% above the median, placing them between the 50th and 75th percentiles of full-time earnings. At the top of the range, deputy heads can earn well over £100,000, comparable to senior leaders in other sectors.

Headteachers themselves are paid on a separate scale grouped by school size. For example, a Group 1 headteacher (small primary) earns £60,619 to £80,652, while a Group 8 headteacher (large secondary) earns £104,059 to £148,829. Deputy head salaries typically sit below the headteacher’s but within the same leadership range.

Converting Deputy Head Salary to an Hourly Rate

If you are comparing a deputy head teacher salary with an hourly-paid job, you can calculate a notional hourly rate. Full-time teachers are generally assumed to work 32.5 hours per week (based on 1,265 hours of directed time over 39 weeks). However, leadership staff are not subject to directed time, so this is a conventional full-time equivalent for pro-rata purposes.

Using the formula annual salary ÷ (32.5 × 52), you get:

• At £53,586: about £31.70 per hour
• At £148,829: about £88.10 per hour

These are gross figures before tax, National Insurance, and pension deductions. For a more detailed breakdown, use our hourly calculator to see how different hours assumptions affect the conversion.

Take-Home Pay and Pension Contributions

Deputy head teachers in England and Wales are enrolled in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. For 2026/27, member contribution rates are tiered:

• 9.9% on earnings up to £57,776.99
• 10.5% on earnings from £57,777 to £76,572.99
• 11.6% on earnings from £76,573 to £104,413.99
• 12% on earnings above £104,413.99

At the minimum salary of £53,586, the 9.9% contribution reduces taxable pay to £48,281. After Income Tax (basic rate) and National Insurance, the estimated take-home is about £38,056 per year, or £3,171 per month. Higher earners will see larger pension deductions and may pay higher-rate tax.

London Weighting and Regional Variations

As shown above, Inner London pay is significantly higher to reflect higher living costs. Outer London and the Fringe area have intermediate ranges. If you are considering a deputy head role in London, the salary will be at least £10,000 more than the rest of England minimum. Always check which London area applies, as the ranges differ.

No Overtime, But Other Allowances

Deputy head teachers are salaried professionals; overtime is not typically paid. However, some schools may offer teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) allowances or recruitment and retention incentives on top of the base salary. These are set by the governing body and can add several thousand pounds.

How to Research Deputy Head Teacher Salary

Because pay is set locally, the best source for a specific role is the job advertisement or the school’s pay policy. National benchmarks are available from:

• GOV.UK national pay scales for eligible teaching jobs
• NASUWT and other teacher unions publish pay scales annually
• The STRB reports provide the statutory ranges

For a broader view of how deputy head salary compares to other professions, browse our salary articles covering UK pay benchmarks.

Summary

• Deputy head teacher salary for 2026/27 ranges from £53,586 to £148,829 outside London.
• Inner London range is £63,709 to £158,863.
• The exact salary is set by the governing body based on school size and headteacher group.
• Notional hourly rate at the minimum is about £31.70 (32.5-hour week).
• Take-home pay is reduced by Teachers’ Pension contributions (9.9%–12%) and tax.
• London weighting adds a significant premium.

Use this information to evaluate job offers and compare with hourly-paid roles. Remember that deputy head teacher salary is a professional salary with pension benefits, not an hourly wage with overtime.