Salary guide
Early Years Practitioner salary in England
What early years practitioners are advertised at in England, based on live vacancies.
Official support staff pay spine · 2026/27
NJC pay points 3–43
Full-time, full-year rates from 1 April 2026 (3.3% increase agreed). Show all pay points
| Pay point (SCP) | Annual salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | £25,614 | £13.28 |
| 4 | £26,016 | £13.48 |
| 5 | £26,427 | £13.70 |
| 6 | £26,847 | £13.92 |
| 7 | £27,274 | £14.14 |
| 8 | £27,709 | £14.36 |
| 9 | £28,153 | £14.59 |
| 10 | £28,608 | £14.83 |
| 11 | £29,071 | £15.07 |
| 12 | £29,542 | £15.31 |
| 13 | £30,023 | £15.56 |
| 14 | £30,515 | £15.82 |
| 15 | £31,015 | £16.08 |
| 16 | £31,525 | £16.34 |
| 17 | £32,046 | £16.61 |
| 18 | £32,578 | £16.89 |
| 19 | £33,119 | £17.17 |
| 20 | £33,673 | £17.45 |
| 21 | £34,237 | £17.75 |
| 22 | £34,811 | £18.04 |
| 23 | £35,570 | £18.44 |
| 24 | £36,581 | £18.96 |
| 25 | £37,563 | £19.47 |
| 26 | £38,510 | £19.96 |
| 27 | £39,481 | £20.46 |
| 28 | £40,444 | £20.96 |
| 29 | £41,177 | £21.34 |
| 30 | £42,123 | £21.83 |
| 31 | £43,149 | £22.37 |
| 32 | £44,253 | £22.94 |
| 33 | £45,529 | £23.60 |
| 34 | £46,579 | £24.14 |
| 35 | £47,665 | £24.71 |
| 36 | £48,738 | £25.26 |
| 37 | £49,817 | £25.82 |
| 38 | £50,908 | £26.39 |
| 39 | £51,928 | £26.92 |
| 40 | £53,051 | £27.50 |
| 41 | £54,143 | £28.06 |
| 42 | £55,224 | £28.62 |
| 43 | £56,293 | £29.18 |
Source: NJC for Local Government Services pay agreement 2026 (Annex 1)
Councils and most maintained schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland pay support staff on this spine; each employer decides which pay points a role sits on. Annual figures are for a full-time (37-hour), all-year post — term-time and part-time staff are paid a proportion of them. Hourly rates are for a 37-hour week. Pay point 2 was removed, so the spine now starts at point 3. Academies, independent schools and private nurseries may use their own pay.
Read the official pay agreement (Local Government Association)Advertised salary evidence
£25,044 per year – £26,974 per year
Median advertised range in England
Midpoint of advertised salary ranges: £26,009 per year
Limited evidence
Based on salary information published in live vacancy adverts on SchoolJobs.uk.
Based on 16 live public vacancies · Last refreshed 26 Oct 2026
Statistics are derived from live public vacancies at the time of the last refresh. They are a snapshot of advertised pay, not a historical earnings series.
How we calculate salary informationNon-QTS practitioner in nursery or Reception, usually Level 2 or Level 3.
Advertised pay by unit and nation
Annual, monthly, weekly, daily and hourly adverts are measured separately, and each nation is measured on its own evidence.
| Nation | Unit | Median advertised range | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | per year | £25,044 per year – £26,974 per yearMidpoint of advertised ranges: £26,009 per year | Limited evidence16 live vacancies · 16 employers |
Early Years Practitioner job openings
EYFS Practitioner
St Johns CofE Academy · Wantage
Level 3 Early Years Practitioner
Coleridge Primary · Rotherham
Early Years Practitioner
Blewbury Church of England Primary School · Didcot
Preschool Practitioner
East Huntspill Primary Academy · Highbridge
Nursery and Preschool Practitioner
Cranham Primary School · Worcester
Early Years Practitioner
The Sheffield College · Sheffield
Schools hiring early years practitioners
Ranked by live vacancy volume. We do not publish employer-level pay figures.
Where early years practitioners are being advertised
Areas with the most live early years practitioner vacancies.
Similar roles to Early Years Practitioner
Apprentice Early Years Practitioner
See apprentice early years practitioner salary guide
Assistant Nursery Manager
See assistant nursery manager salary guide
Deputy Nursery Manager
See deputy nursery manager salary guide
Early Years Apprentice
See early years apprentice salary guide
Early Years Educator
See early years educator salary guide
Early Years Lead
See early years lead salary guide
Career advice for early years practitioner roles
Frequently asked questions
How much does an early years practitioner earn in England?
Across live early years practitioner vacancies advertised in England on SchoolJobs.uk, the median advertised range is £25,044 per year – £26,974 per year. That is advertised pay, not pay received — individual salaries depend on experience, pay point, phase and contract.
Does early years practitioner pay vary by area?
It can, but we only publish area differences where we have enough evidence for that area — we never apply a regional multiplier to invent a local figure.
What pay framework applies to a early years practitioner?
There is no single pay framework that generally applies to this role: pay depends on the employer, the contract and the nation. Use the advertised salary evidence on this page and check the individual advert.
Find your next early years practitioner job
Live UK early years practitioner vacancies from schools, trusts and agencies.
Browse Early Years Practitioner jobs