Early education and childcare practitioners salary in South East
Full-time average annual pay in South East
£19,270
Based on ~16,000 employees · 2025 · moderate suppression
Median
£19,270
Mean
£18,405
| Statistic | Annual pay (gross) |
|---|---|
| Median | £19,270 |
| Mean | £18,405 |
Region-level range withheld by ONS — UK-wide, the middle half of early education and childcare practitioners earn £13,622–£24,510. See full methodology →
Skilled Worker visa minimum
£33,400
Understanding Early education and childcare practitioners pay in South East
The typical early education and childcare practitioners in South East earns a median salary of £19,270 in 2025/26, based on around 16,000 employees — 1.3% (£246) below the UK-wide median of £19,516. These figures come from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), so they reflect actual reported pay rather than self-reported estimates or job-advert ranges.
Across the UK, South East ranks 4th of 11 regions for early education and childcare practitioners pay. Regional medians run from £13,680 in Yorkshire and the Humber up to £22,949 in Scotland, a spread of £9,269 (68%).
The mean (average) salary is lower, at £18,405, which points to a cluster of lower-paid roles dragging the average down — so the median is the better guide to typical pay here.
To see what £19,270 means after income tax and National Insurance, use the take-home pay calculator below — it also factors in student loan repayments.
Take-home pay estimate
Tax year 2025/26| Monthly | Annual | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £1,606 | £19,270 |
| Income tax | £112 | £1,340 |
| National Insurance | £45 | £536 |
| Take-home pay | £1,450 | £17,394 |
Estimate only · 2025/26 HMRC rates · Standard tax code · No pension contribution · Not financial or tax advice
How Early education and childcare practitioners pay varies by region
Scotland is the highest-paying region for early education and childcare practitioners at £22,949 — 18% above the UK median. Yorkshire and the Humber is lowest at £13,680.
UK median £19,516
| Region | Median payUK median £19,516 | Median | Mean | vs UK median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £22,949 | £22,949 | £23,055 | +18% |
| North East | £21,371 | £21,371 | £19,935 | +10% |
| North West | £20,249 | £20,249 | £19,144 | +4% |
| South East (current region) | £19,270 | £19,270 | £18,405 | -1% |
| London | £18,799 | £18,799 | £20,164 | -4% |
| Wales | £18,402 | £18,402 | £20,791 | -6% |
| West Midlands | £18,397 | £18,397 | £17,997 | -6% |
| South West | £17,817 | £17,817 | £18,821 | -9% |
| East Midlands | £16,458 | £16,458 | £18,008 | -16% |
| East of England | £16,048 | £16,048 | £17,530 | -18% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £13,680 | £13,680 | £14,872 | -30% |
| Region | Median | vs UK |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland £22,949 | £22,949Mean £23,055 | +18% |
| North East £21,371 | £21,371Mean £19,935 | +10% |
| North West £20,249 | £20,249Mean £19,144 | +4% |
| South East (current region) £19,270 | £19,270Mean £18,405 | -1% |
| London £18,799 | £18,799Mean £20,164 | -4% |
| Wales £18,402 | £18,402Mean £20,791 | -6% |
| West Midlands £18,397 | £18,397Mean £17,997 | -6% |
| South West £17,817 | £17,817Mean £18,821 | -9% |
| East Midlands £16,458 | £16,458Mean £18,008 | -16% |
| East of England £16,048 | £16,048Mean £17,530 | -18% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber £13,680 | £13,680Mean £14,872 | -30% |
Sorted highest median to lowest. The vertical line marks the UK median (£19,516); ‘Vs UK median’ compares each region’s median to it. Suppressed values mean ONS withheld this figure because the sample was too small to publish.
How early education and childcare practitioners pay in South East has changed over time
Median annual pay for early education and childcare practitioners in South East by year, shown against the UK-wide median (Source: ONS ASHE). The shaded band is the UK-wide 25th–75th percentile range — ONS does not publish percentile ranges at region level.
South East median
UK median
▪ UK-wide 25th–75th percentile range
Pre-2021 figures mapped from SOC 2010 via ONS concordance table
How the figures are sourced
Data sources: Official UK earnings data (2025 provisional)(opens in new tab)