Teachers' Pension contributions 2026/27
Six tiers from 7.4% to 12.0%, applied to your actual salary including any TLR. The employer pays 28.7% on top, which is the reason the scheme is worth more than the contribution costs you.
The tiers for 2026/27
| Salary | Contribution | At the top of that band |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £36,199 | 7.4% | £2,679 |
| Up to £48,728 | 8.9% | £4,337 |
| Up to £57,777 | 9.9% | £5,720 |
| Up to £76,573 | 10.5% | £8,040 |
| Up to £104,414 | 11.6% | £12,112 |
| Above £104,414 | 12.0% | £14,400 |
The bands were uprated for 2026/27 by the September 2025 CPI figure of 3.8%; the rates themselves were unchanged. The employer rate stays at 28.7% including the 0.08% administration levy.
What it costs at each scale point
| Point | Salary | Tier | A year | A month | Net cost after tax relief |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | £34,069 | 7.4% | £2,521 | £210.09 | £168.07 |
| M2 | £36,042 | 7.4% | £2,667 | £222.26 | £177.81 |
| M3 | £38,400 | 8.9% | £3,418 | £284.80 | £227.84 |
| M4 | £40,941 | 8.9% | £3,644 | £303.65 | £242.92 |
| M5 | £43,529 | 8.9% | £3,874 | £322.84 | £258.27 |
| M6 | £46,940 | 8.9% | £4,178 | £348.14 | £278.51 |
| U1 | £49,134 | 9.9% | £4,864 | £405.36 | £324.28 |
| U2 | £50,956 | 9.9% | £5,045 | £420.39 | £324.88 |
| U3 | £52,835 | 9.9% | £5,231 | £435.89 | £305.96 |
The last column is what it costs your take-home after income tax relief. On U3 the headline contribution is £435.89 a month and the real cost is £305.96, because it comes out before tax is worked out.
Where a boundary catches you
The tier applies to your whole salary, not just the part above the boundary. The boundary at £36,199 sits between M4 and M5 outside London, and the one at £48,728 sits inside the upper pay range. A TLR or an SEN allowance that takes you just over one of those costs more than the allowance is worth on that slice.
It is not a reason to refuse an allowance. It is a reason to know where you will land, which is what the calculator on the teacher calculator does automatically.
The contribution tiers above are confirmed directly from Teachers' Pensions. The pay scales they are applied to come from union publications, because the statutory STPCD 2026 had not been published at the time of writing.
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
What percentage do teachers pay into their pension?
Between 7.4% and 12.0% depending on salary. M1 outside London is on 7.4%; U3 is on 9.9%.
Is the Teachers' Pension worth it?
The employer contributes 28.7% of salary on top of yours into a career average defined benefit scheme. Replicating that privately would cost far more than the contribution does. This page puts a number on it.
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.