Official pay data
Updated 15 October 2026
Salary guide
Official annual estimates for the whole country, mapped to the closest published occupation.
United Kingdom · gross annual earnings estimate
25th percentile
£18,789
Median
£21,239
75th percentile
£24,152
This ASHE benchmark covers full-time employee jobs, not self-employed income or part-time jobs. ASHE gross earnings include basic pay, overtime, incentive pay such as bonuses and commissions, shift premiums, and other cash pay. They are before deductions, exclude payments in kind, and are not take-home pay or the whole benefits package. Compare the benchmark with an offer on the same working-hours and annual-pay basis.
This is a country-level occupation benchmark, not a local offer estimate. Pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. Mapped to Teaching assistants; the occupation is broader than the page role. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
This guide uses the national full-time employee benchmark for Teaching assistants (6112) as a useful comparison for a Teacher Assistant offer. The match is strongest where the role supports pupils, prepares learning materials and helps classroom activity run smoothly. It does not turn an ordinary teaching-assistant post into a higher level teaching-assistant role, which carries added responsibilities.
Benchmark fit
Teacher Assistant fits the broad Teaching assistants benchmark because ordinary teaching assistants support pupils' educational, emotional and social development and help teachers keep classrooms running.
Nearby titles: Teaching Assistant.
Higher level teaching assistants are a more senior role with added teaching, lesson-preparation and staff-supervision responsibilities. Those duties should not be assumed for an ordinary Teaching Assistant.
Role scope
A Teaching Assistant helps pupils engage with learning while supporting the teacher and the day-to-day running of the classroom.
Work with individual pupils and small groups to help them take part in learning and become more independent. · Set up learning spaces and prepare materials or resources for lessons. · Monitor and record pupils' progress, then report it or give feedback to teachers. · When working in further education, help manage student behaviour and maintain a positive learning environment where this forms part of the assignment.
Classrooms and lesson resources prepared for the learning activities assigned to the role. · Progress records and feedback that help teachers understand how pupils are doing.
This is a more senior role with added teaching, lesson-preparation and staff-supervision responsibilities.
Read the range
For an ordinary Teaching Assistant, compare the offer against work such as supporting pupils individually or in groups, preparing learning materials, and recording progress. Added teaching, lesson preparation and staff supervision belong to the higher level teaching-assistant distinction, not the ordinary role.
One quarter of employees earn below this figure.
Half of employees earn below this figure and half above it; it is not the arithmetic midpoint of the displayed range.
One quarter of employees earn above this figure.
Location
Supplementary regional medians are available for several UK regions.
| Region | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Not published | £20,998 | Not published |
| East Midlands | Not published | £21,060 | Not published |
| London | Not published | £24,488 | Not published |
| North East | Not published | £22,587 | Not published |
| North West | Not published | £21,247 | Not published |
| Scotland | Not published | £22,021 | Not published |
| South East | Not published | £19,930 | Not published |
| South West | Not published | £19,354 | Not published |
| Wales | Not published | £20,853 | Not published |
| West Midlands | Not published | £20,728 | Not published |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | Not published | £19,385 | Not published |
Use a regional figure as context for a local offer, not as a local offer estimate: pay can differ by location, employer, duties and working pattern.
Beyond salary
Compare the offer's annual cash pay on the same hours basis as the benchmark. Then separate any conditional cash payments and benefits from the stated salary before deciding how the package compares.
Check the annual salary against the actual hours and working pattern in the offer.
Ask which payments are conditional, how they are calculated and whether the stated offer includes them.
Ask for the terms of any benefits separately, because payments in kind are not part of gross earnings.
Progression
A move to higher level teaching assistant changes the responsibility scope rather than describing the ordinary Teaching Assistant role.
The role adds teaching, lesson-preparation and staff-supervision responsibilities. Treat this as a different responsibility scope when comparing offers; the national Teaching assistants benchmark is still a broad occupational comparison.
Offer review
Questions
Source
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. The figures cover Teaching assistants (6112) and full time employee jobs. Updated 15 October 2026. This broad occupation benchmark may not match every Teacher Assistant vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your CV around the experience that supports your target level.
