Curious about how much you could be earning as a teaching assistant, or unsure what you should be earning? We’ve put together a handy graph so that you can see teaching assistant pay scales in the UK.
So what does our graph mean? Let’s go through it. As teaching assistant positions are based in education, the salary and pay scale often match the local government pay scale. A teaching assistant in London, for example, will earn more than elsewhere in the country because the government pay scale there is higher.
Your pay can also vary depending on the type of school you’ll be working with. Independent, academy and free schools aren’t required to follow local authority pay guidelines for teaching assistant positions, so it’s always worth checking beforehand, as you could be earning less or more than the national average depending on the organisation you’re working for.
The starting annual salary for Level 1 teaching assistants is set at around £17,000, in line with the local government pay scale. Qualified Level 2 teaching assistants can expect to earn between £18,000 to £20,000. Teaching assistants with Level 3 qualifications can earn up to £25,000 if they have additional specialisms or SEN responsibilities.
In most teaching assistant positions you’ll find yourself on a term time only contract, which means that you probably won’t be earning the full, yearly amount as seen on the government pay scale. The average actual yearly pay for a teaching assistant comes out to around £12,000.
If you’re lucky enough to not be working on a term time only contract then you could get paid leave during school holidays and your salary will match the government pay scale more closely.
Since you’ll generally only be working during term time, your salary won’t match that of other jobs with a similar hourly rate that work through the full year, but this isn’t always a bad thing. You’ll have more free time and holidays than you’ll find in other careers, and have the opportunity to pursue part-time work and side jobs during your off-time, as well as build up your qualifications.
Unhappy with your wage? If you’re looking to earn a higher salary as a teaching assistant then you should look into acquiring additional skills and knowledge that will be useful in the job.
Having the right supporting qualifications is going to help you to be considered for higher level positions or a better paying job in a new workplace. We offer a range of distance learning teaching assistant courses that can be completed from anywhere in the UK.
The most important qualification you can get as a teaching assistant, especially if you’re new to the position or looking to get into a role with no experience, is an accredited Level 2 teaching assistant course.
With your Level 2 qualification you’ll learn everything you need to know about the job and put yourself at an advantage over other, unqualified applicants by easily showing employers your value with a new qualification on your CV. The best part is our teaching assistant courses are all fully online, using distance learning methods that can help you achieve your best!
Already got the experience but not the pay? Try taking our Level 3 teaching assistant course! The Level 3 qualification is equivalent to an A-Level and is designed for those who already have some experience with being a teaching assistant or already have prior knowledge or training, setting you up to progress into higher level positions.
After you have your Level 3 qualification you could look into becoming a specialist teaching assistant working with SEN children, study to become a higher level teaching assistant, or even a teacher!
Having a Level 2 qualification in safeguarding is useful in any educational setting where you’ll be working with children or vulnerable people. You could also look at a course in understanding autism or getting your first aid qualification so you can impress on your CV.
With supporting qualifications you will be seen as a more valuable potential employee and will be more likely to get those higher paying jobs, as well as being considered for higher level positions as you progress.
If you want to learn more about the different types of teaching assistant qualifications that are available to you then check out our article on which teaching assistant qualification would be best for you.
Yes! If you’re looking for a flexible job with relatively good pay, plenty of opportunities for progression, and the chance to make a positive impact on children’s lives then being a teaching assistant is for you!
