Salary guide
Lunchtime Assistant salary
What lunchtime assistants are advertised at on live vacancies we hold — we name the nation whenever we publish a figure.
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)Typical advertised pay
£4,931 per year – £6,107 per year
Median advertised range for Midday Supervisor roles in England
Based on Midday Supervisor adverts
We don't yet have enough Lunchtime Assistant adverts with pay to publish a figure of their own, so this shows the closest main role. Based on 70 live public vacancies. Support-staff pay is set locally, so individual adverts vary.
See the Midday Supervisor salary guideLunchtime Assistant job openings
Lunchtime Assistant
Fallings Park Primary School · Wolverhampton
Lunchtime Assistant
The Deans Primary School · Manchester
Midday/Lunchtime Assistants x2
Cookridge Primary School · Leeds
Lunchtime Assistant
Priestmead Primary School and Nursery · Harrow
Lunchtime Assistant - Coley Primary School
Coley Primary School · Reading
Lunchtime Assistant
Lynch Hill School Primary Academy · Slough
Schools hiring lunchtime assistants
Ranked by live vacancy volume. We do not publish employer-level pay figures.
Where lunchtime assistants are being advertised
Areas with the most live lunchtime assistant vacancies.
Similar roles to Lunchtime Assistant
Academy Trustee
See academy trustee salary guide
Access Arrangements Assessor
See access arrangements assessor salary guide
Access Arrangements Coordinator
See access arrangements coordinator salary guide
Accounts Assistant
See accounts assistant salary guide
Activities Coordinator
See activities coordinator salary guide
Admin Assistant
Local-government support-staff pay structures (England and Wales)
See admin assistant salary guide
Career advice for lunchtime assistant roles
Frequently asked questions
How much does a lunchtime assistant earn?
We do not yet hold enough verified salary evidence to publish a lunchtime assistant figure. Rather than estimate, we show live vacancies so you can see what employers are actually advertising.
Does lunchtime assistant 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 lunchtime assistant?
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 lunchtime assistant job
Live UK lunchtime assistant vacancies from schools, trusts and agencies.
Browse Lunchtime Assistant jobs