Answers · UK 2025/26
What is the take-home pay for a teaching assistant in the UK?
Pay for a teaching assistant in the UK varies widely: roughly £18,000-£19,000 for a Level 2 teaching assistant up to £24,000-£26,000 for a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) with additional responsibilities. On a representative salary of £21,000 in 2026/27, take-home pay after Income Tax (£1,686.00) and National Insurance (£674.40) is £18,639.60 a year, or about £1,553.30 a month.
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Pay for a teaching assistant in the UK ranges roughly £18,000-£19,000 for a Level 2 teaching assistant up to £24,000-£26,000 for a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) with additional responsibilities, depending on experience, location and employer. Taking a representative salary of £21,000 for 2026/27: taxable income after the £12,570 Personal Allowance is £8,430, all within the 20% basic rate band, giving £1,686.00 Income Tax. National Insurance is 8% on earnings between the £12,570 Primary Threshold and the £50,270 Upper Earnings Limit, coming to £674.40. Combined deductions of £2,360.40 leave £18,639.60 take-home pay a year, around £1,553.30 a month. Teaching assistant pay is usually set on a local authority pay scale and is often quoted as a full-time equivalent (FTE) figure, then paid pro rata for term-time-only contracts -- many teaching assistants work around 38-40 weeks a year rather than 52, so actual annual take-home is lower than the FTE salary suggests. HLTAs, who can cover classes and plan lessons, typically sit on a higher pay band than general teaching assistants. Use the Take-Home Pay calculator to model your own exact salary and deductions.
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This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.