Public sector pay 2026/27
Pay scales for the biggest public sector jobs in England, with what you actually take home after Income Tax, National Insurance and your scheme pension.
Teachers
Main, upper and leadership pay, TLRs, Teachers’ Pension
Firefighters
Firefighter to area manager, on-call and control, fire pension
Armed forces
Army, Royal Navy and RAF, every rank, AFPS 15 pension
Local government
Council and school support staff on the NJC spine, LGPS
Civil service
Every grade in over 95 departments, alpha pension
Starting pay compared
| Job | Salary | Pension | Monthly take-home | 2026/27 rise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 5 nurse (entry) | £32,073 | 8.3% | £2,040.21 | 3.3% from 1 April 2026 |
| Teacher, M1 | £34,069 | 7.4% | £2,169.37 | 3.5% from 1 September 2026 |
| Police constable (new) | £32,255 | 12.88% | £1,951.64 | 3.5% from 1 September 2026 |
| Prison officer, Band 3 | £34,928 | 4.6% | £2,281.87 | 3.5% from 1 April 2026 |
Full time, outside London, tax code 1257L, no student loan. Prison officer pay includes the 20% unsocial hours allowance.
Every scheme here takes your pension before Income Tax but not before National Insurance, and charges your whole pay at one rate. That is why two people on similar salaries in different jobs can take home quite different amounts. For any other salary, see salaries after tax or use the take-home pay calculator.