M6 to UPS1: the real gain
M6 to UPS1 is a gross rise of £2,194 outside London. After tax, National Insurance and a pension tier that moves from 8.9% to 9.9%, what reaches you is £1,030 a year — £85.87 a month.
That is £35,005 a year, after the Teachers' Pension tier, income tax and National Insurance.
- Gross
- £49,134
- Pension tier
- 9.9%
- Income tax
- £6,340
- Marginal rate
- 28.0%
| A year | A month | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pay | £49,134.00 | £4,094.50 |
| Gross pay | £49,134.00 | £4,094.50 |
| Teachers' Pension at 9.9% | £-4,864.27 | £-405.36 |
| Income tax | £-6,339.95 | £-528.33 |
| National Insurance | £-2,924.64 | £-243.72 |
| Take-home pay | £35,005.15 | £2,917.10 |
The step in every pay area
| Pay area | M6 | UPS1 | Gross rise | Net gain a year | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rest of England | £46,940 | £49,134 | £2,194 | £1,030 | £85.87 |
| London fringe | £48,479 | £50,625 | £2,146 | £1,009 | £84.06 |
| Outer London | £52,241 | £54,047 | £1,806 | £1,266 | £105.47 |
| Inner London | £54,131 | £59,650 | £5,519 | £2,958 | £246.50 |
Inner London is by far the largest step, because the inner London upper pay range opens with a bigger gap above M6 than the other areas do.
Then UPS1 to UPS3
| Point | Salary | Pension tier | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U1 | £49,134 | 9.9% | £35,005 | £2,917.10 |
| U2 | £50,956 | 9.9% | £36,214 | £3,017.83 |
| U3 | £52,835 | 9.9% | £37,531 | £3,127.56 |
Progression through the upper pay range is normally every two years subject to meeting the standards, so it takes about four years to reach UPS3 from UPS1.
Is the application worth it?
The evidence folder is real work and the decision is not automatic. Against that, £85.87 a month is permanent, compounds through every future pay award, and increases your pension accrual for the rest of your career.
The honest framing is that it is one of the better returns available to a classroom teacher without taking on a leadership responsibility, which is what a TLR would require. The TLR page prices that alternative.
The statutory School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document for 2026 has not been published yet - it is expected around November 2026, after the parliamentary review period. The scales here come from the National Education Union and NASUWT, which publish identical figures derived from the accepted 3.5% award. They are very unlikely to move, but individual points could differ by a pound or two in rounding.
The scale this sits on
| Point | Salary | Pension tier | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | £34,069 | 7.4% | £26,033 | £2,169.41 |
| M2 | £36,042 | 7.4% | £27,337 | £2,278.05 |
| M3 | £38,400 | 8.9% | £28,434 | £2,369.50 |
| M4 | £40,941 | 8.9% | £30,083 | £2,506.88 |
| M5 | £43,529 | 8.9% | £31,762 | £2,646.81 |
| M6 | £46,940 | 8.9% | £33,975 | £2,831.23 |
| U1 | £49,134 | 9.9% | £35,005 | £2,917.10 |
| U2 | £50,956 | 9.9% | £36,214 | £3,017.83 |
| U3 | £52,835 | 9.9% | £37,531 | £3,127.56 |
Every figure there is computed from the published 2026/27 scale and the Teachers' Pension tiers confirmed for 1 April 2026, using the same engine that runs the calculator on this page. The inner London scale is several thousand pounds higher at every point, which is why quoting one scale as though it were universal is a serious error rather than a rounding one.
Elsewhere in this section, the pension page sets out the six tiers and where a TLR tips you into the next one, the threshold page works out whether crossing to the upper pay range is worth the application, and the teacher calculator runs your own pay area, point and allowances.
Questions people actually ask
How much more is UPS1 than M6?
£2,194 gross outside London, and £85.87 a month in your pocket.
How do I move to the upper pay range?
By application, demonstrating that you meet the relevant standards and that your achievements are substantial and sustained. It is not automatic progression.
Figures on this page are for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027) and were last checked on 29 August 2026. Every rate we use is listed on the sources page.