If you're a teacher how much do you earn?

[Sefty]

Apologies for the intrusive question but what I can find online seems to differ from what I'm sure I've read on here a few weeks ago. I'm considering retraining as a teacher but not sure if my degree is relevant enough to quality for any kind of training degree. I have a 2:1 degree in Communications from a good university.

I have friends who are teachers, admittedly they are heads of departments and have been in the role for almost ten years, and are on pretty high salaries, £50k plus. This is central London.

I know I'd be starting from scratch but is this kind of salary typical after working your way up?

I don’t know anyone on over 40k unless they are senior leadership
My oh is on 42 grand in middle management. 70 - 80 hour weeks though.

Don’t teach English - the marking is horrendous!

Media studies is definately still a subject at my school - although most of the media teachers have to teach some younger years (pre-gcse) english too, and I think one even teaches photography as well. Plus most do PSHE too. This is in a fairly large (250 intake) state secondary in London. I'm not sure what quals you need for it though.

Teaching is chronically underpaid.

As are many other professions both public and private.

The two media studies teachers I know have gradually taken on the subject rather than have a qualification in it themselves. One is an an English specialist, the other Drama.

Do the teachers who have responded on this thread feel underpaid or feel happy with what they earn? Some of the salaries sound very good to me but obviously it depends what the people doing the roles think.

yaela123
Media studies is usually taught by English or Drama teachers with appropriate backgrounds.
More often than not now it falls under English with cuts to the arts happening left right and centre.

This might get me flames but look at Teach First, OP. You should meet their subject requirements for English.

I’m m6 and only £32k, feel quite underpaid compared to others on here! Been teaching 10 years but now I’m part time (so 0.65 of £32k) I have zero chance of going to the upper pay scale so get to stay where I am, pay being eroded by inflation every year! Bit shit really but I do like being part time for now.

For a first year teacher, I'm happy with my salary. But I am moving overseas next year for better conditions and pay. I've had some very good offers.

From the sound of it you may struggle, OP. Generally 50% of your degree needs to be in the subject you want to specialise in and media studies isn't really sought after. There are lots of teachers already in the areas that there aren't many jobs in, as people tend to finish their degree and not know what to do next. So, PE, history, English etc.

You'd probably be able to do a pgce in primary if you wanted, but the earning potential isn't as high.

The salary really depends on which way you look at it. I'm part time at the moment. I doubt I'd earn as much in many other part time opportunities locally. However, with my qualifications if I'd taken some of the other routes open to me at the time (note: I'd still rather teach) I'd be earning more.
Now it has to be admitted that we teachers like a moan about our job, who doesn't? And there is much to moan about compared to when I started back in the early 00s (17,500 starting salary in Reading! That did not go far. The outer London weighting does not go far enough). However, there is still nothing I'd rather do.

I earn approx 33k. I don’t think it’s a terrible
salary at all but I do work extremely long hours and have a fair few qualifications, in comparison to my dh who earns more but works fewer hours and is not as qualified. I would like to see teaching paid better but that’s never going to happen!
At the moment I’m on mat leave and I’d also like the mat leave pay to be better! Pigs might fly...

Have you thought about training to teach Media at a 6th form college?

I don’t mind what I earn. Husband also has reasonable wages and we do not have children.

I do think that departments have different pressures and workloads, so it’s not fair that we are all paid the same. But on the other hand, I think having different wages would also be divisive.

I have taught English for years so the pressure is on us as a core subject, and our marking workload is huge compared to, say maths. Teaching maths brings its own difficulties too.

We are always first in line for book scrutinies, extra revision classes, intervention classes and none of the ‘easy’ breaks like being on-call. It causes a lot of resentment.

thanks
But you get no guarantee of the subject you want.
I looked at TF and because I have an A Level in a science subject the terms when I looked at it said they could place you anywhere in the country in any subject they decide based on qualifications. It put me off a bit because I had no desire to teach KS3/4 Science.
It might have changed since then though

@ThanksItHasPockets is right: Teach First would accept you as an English trainee.

I'm HoD in a small indie. I earn £37k. I'm not in the 'inner circle' and there is no pay scale for leadership - just what the head thinks you're worth.

There is a pay scale for up to M6 which is the same as state plus 2%.

@MaisyPops I think they are more inclined these days to work with you on which region you would like to be in - better for retention, I guess. Im sure I saw adverts saying something along the lines of, apply early and you can choose your region.

My friend and her DH are both teachers and she used to always be saying how much they earn. He is a headteacher and she said he was on six figures and she works part time and has no extra responsibilities and said she earns £42k which I did think was dubious as a very experienced relative who is a teacher is on £38k while another who is a deputy head was on £50k. None of these in London.

If you read the many, many threads on here about being a teacher, there are very few complaints about salary. That's not because the salaries are great, it's because there are so many worse things to complain about.

she works part time and has no extra responsibilities and said she earns £42k

Hahaha One moment I need to pick myself up off the floor. No way does she earn anything like that as a part time teacher, with no additional responsibilities.

UPS2 here (south east) so £38,000 but prorated to 0.6 so £22,800

One thing I would say is I'd be hard pushed to find another part time job for 3 days where I could leave at 3.10 if necessary (I don't usually buy can if I need to!) have 13 weeks at home with the kids (I don't call it holiday....it's not really), a pension plan and almost £23,000.....I might be less stressed in another pt job though!

I agree ice. Not a chance.

My dd is HoD in a big comp in W Midlands. Just promoted last year. As far as I know she mentioned a figure of £46000. She is 44.

I wouldn't teach for a penny less than the top of the upper pay scale now, but you obviously have to do that to get there. I was offered a job at the top of the main scale but negotiated it back up. It's decent pay but you definitely work very hard for it and you mustn't accept less than you're worth.