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Teacher Salary in Uganda (2026/27)

Last reviewed July 2026 · FY 2026/27 public service salary structure

Choose your grade
Years worked

Year 1 is your entry salary from the join date; each completed year moves you up one notch.

Salary scale

Gross salary
Est. income tax (PAYE)
Est. PSPF (5%)
Est. take-home
See the full PAYE & PSPF breakdown for this salary

Gross figures are the official FY 2026/27-era public service scale. PAYE/PSPF are estimated using FY 2026/27 rates and exclude allowances, honoraria or LST — for guidance only, not payroll advice.

From Teachers on Trial Terms to Head Teacher, primary and secondary. Pick your grade and subject below to see the official monthly salary and an estimated take-home after tax.

How teacher pay is structured

Teacher pay depends on where you teach and your seniority: primary school teachers range from Deputy Head Teacher to Head Teacher, secondary school classroom teachers range up to Head Teacher Secondary School, and tutors, instructors and lecturers at certificate-awarding institutions are paid on an equivalent set of grades. Within each, Science subject teachers are paid a higher flat monthly rate, while Arts (non-science) teachers are paid on a notch ladder that rises with each completed year of service.

Teacher salary increment & enhancement, FY 2025/26 → FY 2026/27

The FY 2026/27 structure is a real-terms salary enhancement for primary teachers and arts (non-science) secondary teachers — not just a renaming. Every grade below moved from a notch ladder that rose with years of service to a single flat rate, so entry-level recruits gained the most, but teachers already on the old top notch gained too. Science-subject teachers were already on a flat rate on each of these grades and saw no change.

Designation FY 2025/26 entry (UGX) FY 2026/27 flat rate (UGX) Entry increment Old top-notch increment
Head Teacher Primary (Primary) 751,558 1,537,976 +104.6% +56.9%
Deputy Head Teacher Primary (Primary) 662,165 1,357,964 +105.1% +81.7%
Senior Education Assistant (Primary) 605,100 727,080 +20.2% +18.5%
Education Assistant (Grade III Teacher) (Primary) 499,684 700,000 +40.1% +23.2%
Head Teacher Secondary School (Non-Science) (Secondary) 2,270,984 3,562,500 +56.9% +51.6%
Deputy Head Teacher Secondary School (Non-Science) (Secondary) 1,631,769 2,175,000 +33.3% +25%
Senior Education Officer - Classroom Teacher (Non-Science) (Secondary) 1,218,041 1,864,890 +53.1% +42.2%
Education Officer - Classroom Teacher (Non-Science) (Secondary) 960,288 1,537,976 +60.2% +42.6%
Assistant Education Officer - Classroom Teacher (Non-Science) (Secondary) 745,000 1,357,964 +82.3% +73.2%

Comparison against the FY 2025/26 public service salary circular. Grades not listed here (Teachers on Trial Terms, Laboratory staff, and every Science-subject grade) were unchanged between the two years.

Teacher positions and pay

Every teaching designation in the FY 2026/27 structure, from Teachers on Trial Terms to Head Teacher Secondary School, with entry salary and the top of the notch ladder.

Designation Scale Entry (UGX) Top of scale (UGX)
Head Teacher Secondary School
Non-Science
U1E (Lower) 3,562,500 3,562,500
Head Teacher Secondary School
Science
U1E (Science) 6,500,000 6,500,000
Deputy Head Teacher Secondary School
Non-Science
U2 (Lower) 2,175,000 2,175,000
Deputy Head Teacher Secondary School - Science U2 (Science) 4,500,000 4,500,000
Deputy Principal Certificate Awarding Institutions (non-science) and Principal Lecturers- Non Science U2 (Lower) 2,175,000 2,175,001
Head of Technical/Farm School and Head Vocational Center and Community Polytechnic (Science) and Principal Lecturers- Science U2 (Science) 4,500,000 4,500,000
Senior Education Officer - Classroom Teacher
Non Science
U3 (Lower) 1,864,890 1,864,890
Senior Education Officer - Classroom Teacher
Science
U3 (Science) 4,250,000 4,250,000
Senior Tutor/Instructor/ Lecturer
Non Science
U3 (Lower) 1,864,890 1,864,890
Senior Tutor/Instructor/ Lecturer
Science
U3 (Science) 4,250,000 4,250,000
Education Officer - Classroom Teacher
Non-Science
U4 (Lower) 1,537,976 1,537,976
Education Officer Classroom Teacher
Science
U4 (Science) 4,000,000 4,000,000
Graduate Tutor/Instructor/ Lecturer
Non Science
U4 (Lower) 1,537,976 1,537,976
Head Teacher Primary
U4
U4 1,537,976 1,537,976
Tutor/Instructor/ Lecturer
Science
U4 (Science) 4,000,000 4,000,000
Assistant Education Officer - Classroom Teacher
Science
U5 (Science) 2,200,000 2,200,000
Assistant Education Officer Classroom Teacher
Non-Science
U5 (Lower) 1,357,964 1,357,964
Deputy Head Teacher Primary
U5
U5 1,357,964 1,357,964
Diploma Tutor/ Instructor/ Lecturer
Non Science
U5 (Lower) 1,357,964 1,357,964
Diploma Tutor/ Instructor/ Lecturer
Science
U5 (Science) 2,200,000 2,200,000
Education Assistant (Grade III Teacher)- U7
Upper
U7 700,000 700,000
Teachers on Trial Terms - U7
Lower
U7 261,326 261,326

Teaching jobs advertised in Uganda

A sample of teaching-related posts as advertised, each paid on the structure above.

Advertised job title Ministry / department Entry (UGX)
Instructor Ministry of Works and Transport 2,200,000
Instructor Ministry of Works and Transport 1,537,976

Frequently asked questions

Teachers are paid across several public service grades depending on seniority and subject: primary school teachers range from Deputy Head Teacher to Head Teacher Primary (U5 to U4), secondary school classroom teachers range up to Head Teacher Secondary School (U1E), and tutors, instructors and lecturers at certificate-awarding institutions are paid on an equivalent set of grades.
Science and mathematics teachers are paid on a separate, higher flat monthly rate that does not increase with years of service. Arts (non-science) teachers are paid on a notch ladder with a lower entry salary that rises annually with each completed year of service. Pick the Science or Non-Science variant of your grade in the estimator above to compare.
Primary teachers progress from Deputy Head Teacher Primary (U5) to Head Teacher Primary (U4), each paid on a notch ladder that rises with years of service. New recruits on Teachers on Trial Terms (U7) are paid a lower probationary rate. Pick your exact position in the calculator above for the current FY 2026/27 figure.
Secondary teachers start as Education Officer - Classroom Teacher (U4) and can progress to Senior Education Officer - Classroom Teacher (U3), Deputy Head Teacher Secondary School (U2) and Head Teacher Secondary School (U1E) — the most senior classroom-teaching grade. Science subject teachers on each of these grades are paid a separate, higher flat rate.
FY 2026/27 brought a large salary enhancement for primary teachers: entry-level pay for a newly-recruited Head Teacher Primary rose from UGX 751,558 to a flat UGX 1,537,976 (+104.6%), and a Deputy Head Teacher Primary's entry pay rose from UGX 662,165 to UGX 1,357,964 (+105.1%). Both grades also moved from an annual notch ladder to a single flat rate, so teachers already on the old top notch gained too — by 56.9% and 81.7% respectively.
Arts (non-science) teachers on the secondary school scale got the biggest increment of any teaching cadre: an Assistant Education Officer's entry pay rose 82.3% (UGX 745,000 to UGX 1,357,964), an Education Officer rose 60.2%, a Senior Education Officer rose 53.1%, and a Head Teacher Secondary School (non-science) rose 56.9%. Science-subject teachers on the same grades were already paid a flat rate and saw no change.
No. Academic staff at public universities such as Makerere and Kyambogo are paid on scales set by their own university councils, not the general public service U-scale covered here. The closest equivalent in this structure is the certificate-awarding institution track — Tutor/Instructor/Lecturer roles on U2 to U5.
Yes — the FY 2026/27 structure gave a double-digit-to-triple-digit percentage increment to every primary teaching grade and every arts (non-science) secondary teaching grade, on top of collapsing their old notch ladders into one flat rate. Science and mathematics teachers, already on a flat rate, were unaffected. See the increment table below for the full breakdown, and always confirm the latest figure against your appointment letter or the official Ministry of Public Service circular.

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Disclaimer. This tool is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute official payroll advice. Figures cover basic gross salary only — allowances, honoraria, and other benefits are not included. Always verify against your appointment letter or the official Ministry of Public Service circular.

Source: Ministry of Public Service salary structure, FY 2026/27.