Teaching Assistant Salary: Converting Hourly Rates to Annual Pay

Understanding the teaching assistant salary in the UK can be confusing because most TAs work term-time only, often part-time, and their pay is based on NJC spine points that are full-time equivalent (FTE) figures. This guide explains how to convert hourly rates to annual salary, what the latest ONS and NJC data show, and how pro-rata calculations work.

Hourly to Annual Conversion Basics

The standard conversion for a full-time role is: annual salary ≈ hourly rate × hours per week × 52 weeks. For a teaching assistant working 37 hours per week all year, that would be hourly rate × 37 × 52. However, most TAs are on term-time-only contracts, so the multiplier is not 52 but the number of paid weeks in your contract (term weeks plus holiday entitlement).

For example, if you work 39 term weeks and have 5.6 weeks' statutory holiday (often rounded to 5 weeks in school contracts), your paid weeks are 44. Your annual salary would be hourly rate × contracted weekly hours × 44. To find your hourly rate from an NJC FTE salary, divide the FTE by 37 and then by 52.14 (the standard weeks used in NJC calculations).

Latest ONS and NJC Pay Data

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025 (provisional) reports a median full-time teaching assistant salary of £21,239 per year. The middle half of full-time TAs earn between £18,789 and £24,152, with the 10th percentile at £17,070 and the 90th at £27,203. When part-time TAs are included, the overall median falls to £18,024.

These figures are actual pay over the year, so term-time-only contracts are already reflected. They are not 52-week equivalents.

The NJC pay scale for 2026/27 (effective from 1 April 2026) sets FTE salaries for support staff. Key points include:

• SCP 3: £25,614 (uplifted to Real Living Wage of £13.45/hr)
• SCP 4: £26,016
• SCP 5: £26,427
• Higher level teaching assistants (HLTA) typically start at SCP 16 (£31,525) and can go up to SCP 19 (£33,119)

These are FTE figures for 37 hours per week, 52.14 weeks per year. Your actual pay will be pro-rated if you work term-time only or fewer hours.

Pro-Rata Calculation for Term-Time Only

The most common mistake in TA pay is using the wrong term-time fraction. The correct formula is:

(term weeks + holiday weeks) / 52.14 × FTE salary

For example, a TA on SCP 5 (£26,427 FTE) working 39 term weeks with 5 weeks' holiday would have a fraction of 44/52.14 ≈ 0.844, giving an actual annual salary of about £22,300. If the school incorrectly uses 39/52, the annual pay would be only £19,820 – an underpayment of over £2,400 per year.

Always ask your school business manager for the exact fraction used in your contract.

Hourly Rates from NJC Scales

To find your hourly rate from an NJC FTE salary, use: FTE salary / (37 × 52.14). For SCP 5 (£26,427), that works out to approximately £13.70 per hour. For SCP 3 (£25,614), it's about £13.28 per hour. Compare this to the National Living Wage of £12.71 per hour (from April 2026 for workers aged 21+).

Note that these hourly rates are for full-time, all-year-round work. If you are term-time only, your hourly rate should be the same, but your annual pay is lower because you work fewer weeks.

Take-Home Pay Considerations

A teaching assistant on the median full-time salary of £21,239 is well within the 20% basic-rate tax band. After the £12,570 personal allowance, you pay 20% Income Tax and 8% Class 1 National Insurance on earnings up to £50,270. Most TAs are enrolled in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), a career-average defined-benefit scheme. At £21,239, the employee contribution is 5.8%, so take-home pay is approximately £17,826 per year (£1,486 per month) after pension, tax, and NI.

Internal Resources

For more salary comparisons and conversion tools, visit our Hourly to Salary calculator or browse our salary articles for other UK occupations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert my hourly rate as a teaching assistant to an annual salary?

For a full-time teaching assistant working 37 hours per week, 52 weeks per year (including paid holiday), the annual salary is roughly hourly rate × 37 × 52. However, most TAs are on term-time-only contracts, so your actual annual pay is your hourly rate × contracted hours per week × (term weeks + holiday weeks). For example, if you work 37 hours per week for 39 term weeks plus 5 weeks' holiday, your annual pay is hourly rate × 37 × 44. The NJC full-time equivalent (FTE) salary is based on 37 hours × 52.14 weeks, so to find your hourly rate from an FTE salary, divide by 37 and then by 52.14.

What is the average teaching assistant salary in the UK for 2026/27?

According to ONS ASHE 2025 (the most recent data), the median full-time teaching assistant salary is £21,239 per year. This includes term-time-only contracts. The middle half of full-time TAs earn between £18,789 and £24,152. If you include part-time TAs, the overall median drops to £18,024. Actual salaries vary by local authority, spine point, and hours worked. For example, a Level 2 TA on NJC SCP 5 would have an FTE salary of £26,427, but a term-time-only contract would reduce that proportionally.

Why does my teaching assistant payslip show less than the NJC spine point salary?

The NJC spine point salary is a full-time equivalent (FTE) figure for 37 hours per week, 52.14 weeks per year. Most teaching assistants work term-time only, so your annual salary is pro-rated using the formula: (term weeks + holiday weeks) / 52.14 × FTE salary. For example, if you work 39 term weeks plus 5 weeks' holiday, your fraction is 44/52.14 ≈ 0.844. So on SCP 5 (£26,427 FTE), your actual annual salary would be about £22,300. Additionally, if you work fewer than 37 hours per week, the pay is further reduced. Always check your contract for the exact term-time fraction and weekly hours.

For more detailed salary data and comparisons, see our salary data page.