Early education and childcare practitioners roles in the UK earn a median of £24,000 per year, equivalent to £13.24 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 9.3% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £22,500 in Wales to £27,000 in Scotland. Pay has risen over the past 5 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £23,717/yr (1% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£24,000
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£13.24
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+9.3%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£20,500 – £26,500
25th – 75th percentile
There is currently not sufficient data available for this occupation to say anything about the labour market.
Median annual pay for Early education and childcare practitioners across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £27,000 |
| London | £25,500 |
| East Midlands | £25,500 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £23,500 |
| South West | £23,500 |
| East | £23,000 |
| North East | £23,000 |
| West Midlands | £23,000 |
| North West | £22,500 |
| South East | £22,500 |
| Wales | £22,500 |
| UK | £24,000 |
Annual pay grew by +9.3% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Early education and childcare practitioners.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
The median salary for a Early education and childcare practitioners in the UK is £24,000 per year (about £13.24 per hour), based on official ONS data for 2025.
Most Early education and childcare practitioners earn between £20,500 and £26,500 a year (the 25th to 75th percentile of UK pay).
Early education and childcare practitioners pay rose by 9.3% from 2024 to 2025.
The highest median pay for Early education and childcare practitioners is in Scotland, at £27,000 per year.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Early education and childcare practitioners roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Early education and childcare practitioners lead the learning and development of and care for children from birth up to five years of age in a school, nursery, or childcare environment.
Qualified practitioners need to have achieved an early years degree qualification, such as Early Years Professional, Early Years Teacher, Early Childhood Studies Degree, Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies. A DBS check is mandatory.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.