Salary guide
Playworker salary in England
What playworkers 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
£16,234 per year – £19,025 per year
Median advertised range in England
Midpoint of advertised salary ranges: £17,630 per year
Limited evidence
Based on salary information published in live vacancy adverts on SchoolJobs.uk.
Based on 9 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 informationPlayworker pay in UK education is set by the employer and the applicable pay framework. We publish figures here only where we can evidence them from live public vacancy adverts or an official pay scale.
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 | £16,234 per year – £19,025 per yearMidpoint of advertised ranges: £17,630 per year | Limited evidence9 live vacancies · 9 employers |
Playworker job openings
Playworker - Wrap Around & Holiday club
Gledhow Primary School · Leeds
Playworker
St Maxentius CofE Primary School · Bolton
Playworker
Oakwood School · Walsall
Morning Care Club Playworker
Menston Primary School · Ilkley
Lunchtime Playworker
Green Lane Primary and Nursery School · Worcester Park
Breakfast Club - Playworker
Beaford Community Primary & Nursery School · Winkleigh
Schools hiring playworkers
Ranked by live vacancy volume. We do not publish employer-level pay figures.
Where playworkers are being advertised
Areas with the most live playworker vacancies.
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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 playworker roles
Frequently asked questions
How much does a playworker earn in England?
Across live playworker vacancies advertised in England on SchoolJobs.uk, the median advertised range is £16,234 per year – £19,025 per year. That is advertised pay, not pay received — individual salaries depend on experience, pay point, phase and contract.
Does playworker 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 playworker?
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 playworker job
Live UK playworker vacancies from schools, trusts and agencies.
Browse Playworker jobs