Question 1

What is the take-home pay for an M2 teacher in 2026-27?

Accepted Answer

An M2 teacher in England (outside London) earns £33,483 gross and takes home £24,724/year (£2,060/month) after income tax, National Insurance and 7.4% TPS pension contributions.

Question 2

How does the M2 salary compare to M1?

Accepted Answer

M2 gross is £33,483 vs M1 £31,650 — a £1,833 increase. After tax, NI and TPS, the take-home rises from £23,486 to £24,724 — a £1,238/year improvement (£103/month more).

Question 3

How much does an M2 teacher earn in Inner London?

Accepted Answer

The Inner London allowance adds £6,479, giving a gross of £39,962. After tax, NI and TPS, the Inner London M2 take-home is approximately £29,389/year (£2,449/month) — about £4,665 more than outside London.

Question 4

What is the Teachers Pension Scheme cost at M2?

Accepted Answer

At M2 (£33,483 gross), the 7.4% TPS contribution is approximately £2,478/year (£207/month). This builds a defined benefit pension — the employer also contributes around 23.7% of your salary to TPS.

Question 5

Can an M2 teacher progress to UPS?

Accepted Answer

Teachers move along the Main Pay Scale (M1–M6) through performance-related progression. Progression to the Upper Pay Scale (UPS1–UPS3) requires a formal application demonstrating sustained high performance. UPS1 take-home is £32,025/year.

Scale	Gross/yr	Take-Home/yr	Take-Home/mo
M1	£31,650	£23,486	£1,957
M2	£33,483	£24,724	£2,060
M3	£35,196	£25,880	£2,157
M4	£37,099	£27,154	£2,263
M5	£39,178	£28,549	£2,379
M6	£41,333	£30,002	£2,500
UPS1	£44,329	£32,025	£2,669
UPS2	£45,415	£32,761	£2,730
UPS3	£46,525	£33,512	£2,793

M2 Teacher Salary Take-Home 2026-27

All Teacher Pay Scales 2026-27 — England Outside London

London Pay Supplements — M2 2026-27

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Teacher Pay Scales