Teachers of english as a foreign language roles in the UK earn a median of £39,500 per year, equivalent to £23.12 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 5.6% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £35,000 in Yorkshire and The Humber to £49,500 in Scotland. Pay has risen over the past 5 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £37,514/yr (5% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£39,500
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£23.12
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+5.6%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£32,500 – £46,000
25th – 75th percentile
There is currently not sufficient data available for this occupation to say anything about the labour market.
Median annual pay for Teachers of english as a foreign language across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £49,500 |
| London | £44,000 |
| South East | £39,500 |
| East | £38,500 |
| South West | £36,000 |
| North West | £36,000 |
| West Midlands | £36,000 |
| East Midlands | £36,000 |
| Wales | £35,500 |
| North East | £35,500 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £35,000 |
| UK | £39,500 |
Annual pay grew by +5.6% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Teachers of english as a foreign language.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
The median salary for a Teachers of english as a foreign language in the UK is £39,500 per year (about £23.12 per hour), based on official ONS data for 2025.
Most Teachers of english as a foreign language earn between £32,500 and £46,000 a year (the 25th to 75th percentile of UK pay).
Teachers of english as a foreign language pay rose by 5.6% from 2024 to 2025.
The highest median pay for Teachers of english as a foreign language is in Scotland, at £49,500 per year.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Teachers of english as a foreign language roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Teachers of English as a foreign language teach students to speak and write the English language, either for the first time or building on their existing knowledge.
There are no pre-set academic entry requirements, however, many employers may require you to have a Teaching English as a Foreign Language course. TEFL courses require students to be 18 and to have a good level of English. A DBS check may be required.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.