Head teachers and principals salary in North West
Full-time average annual pay in North West
£74,657
2025 · moderate suppression
Median
£74,657
Mean
£75,025
| Statistic | Annual pay (gross) |
|---|---|
| Median | £74,657 |
| Mean | £75,025 |
Region-level range withheld by ONS — UK-wide, the middle half of head teachers and principals earn £56,666–£83,340. See full methodology →
Understanding Head teachers and principals pay in North West
The typical head teachers and principals in North West earns a median salary of £74,657 in 2025/26 — 5.2% (£3,680) above the UK-wide median of £70,977. 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, North West ranks 3rd of 11 regions for head teachers and principals pay. Regional medians run from £60,776 in East Midlands up to £82,282 in Yorkshire and the Humber, a spread of £21,506 (35%).
The mean (average) salary is £75,025, close to the median — the two measures broadly agree for head teachers and principals in North West, and the median remains the clearest guide to typical pay.
To see what £74,657 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 | £6,221 | £74,657 |
| Income tax | £1,441 | £17,295 |
| National Insurance | £292 | £3,504 |
| Take-home pay | £4,488 | £53,858 |
Estimate only · 2025/26 HMRC rates · Standard tax code · No pension contribution · Not financial or tax advice
How Head teachers and principals pay varies by region
Yorkshire and the Humber is the highest-paying region for head teachers and principals at £82,282 — 16% above the UK median. East Midlands is lowest at £60,776.
UK median £70,977
| Region | Median payUK median £70,977 | Median | Mean | vs UK median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £82,282 | £82,282 | £83,939 | +16% |
| Wales | £76,119 | £76,119 | £78,448 | +7% |
| North West (current region) | £74,657 | £74,657 | £75,025 | +5% |
| North East | £71,526 | £71,526 | £72,099 | +1% |
| London | £71,111 | £71,111 | £77,967 | ±0% |
| Scotland | £67,633 | £67,633 | £64,542 | -5% |
| South East | £67,377 | £67,377 | £68,865 | -5% |
| East of England | £66,126 | £66,126 | £73,759 | -7% |
| South West | £65,735 | £65,735 | £75,302 | -7% |
| West Midlands | £65,291 | £65,291 | £63,431 | -8% |
| East Midlands | £60,776 | £60,776 | £68,895 | -14% |
| Region | Median | vs UK |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire and the Humber £82,282 | £82,282Mean £83,939 | +16% |
| Wales £76,119 | £76,119Mean £78,448 | +7% |
| North West (current region) £74,657 | £74,657Mean £75,025 | +5% |
| North East £71,526 | £71,526Mean £72,099 | +1% |
| London £71,111 | £71,111Mean £77,967 | ±0% |
| Scotland £67,633 | £67,633Mean £64,542 | -5% |
| South East £67,377 | £67,377Mean £68,865 | -5% |
| East of England £66,126 | £66,126Mean £73,759 | -7% |
| South West £65,735 | £65,735Mean £75,302 | -7% |
| West Midlands £65,291 | £65,291Mean £63,431 | -8% |
| East Midlands £60,776 | £60,776Mean £68,895 | -14% |
Sorted highest median to lowest. The vertical line marks the UK median (£70,977); ‘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 head teachers and principals pay in North West has changed over time
Median annual pay for head teachers and principals in North West 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.
North West median
UK median
▪ UK-wide 25th–75th percentile range
Pre-2021 figures mapped from SOC 2010 via ONS concordance table
Compare with…
How the figures are sourced
Data sources: Official UK earnings data (2025 provisional)(opens in new tab)
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