Compare gross wages, holiday pay, payroll arrangements and pension questions without treating every advertised day rate as the same thing.
IN PLAIN ENGLISH
Ask what reaches your gross wages, what is already included and which costs or deductions come next.
Start with the quote
Begin with supply teacher pay if you have an offer in front of you. Work out whether it is a gross-wage figure or an umbrella assignment rate before comparing it with another booking.
The guides below cover holiday pay, umbrella arrangements, pensions and comparing daily with annual income. They separate statutory rules from contract details and practical budgeting examples.
Use local context carefully
The Pay Checker can help you explore rates people have shared. Those responses provide context, not a guaranteed offer, salary scale or decision about what you are legally owed.
Keep your written agreement and payslip alongside any comparison. Personal tax and pension outcomes need advice that takes your circumstances into account; these guides cannot choose a financial arrangement for you.
Explore the guides
Day rate vs salary
A day rate and an annual salary describe different things. A fair comparison needs realistic paid days, holiday treatment, duties, pension and the costs of getting to work.
Holiday pay
Holiday pay and pay during school holidays are not necessarily the same thing. Your contract and working pattern determine how paid leave is earned and when the money reaches you.
PAYE or umbrella?
“PAYE or umbrella?” usually means choosing between agency payroll and an umbrella employer. Both can deduct tax through PAYE. The difference is who employs and pays you, and what the…
Supply teacher pay
A quoted day rate is only useful if you know what it covers. Compare the role, paid hours, holiday arrangements and payroll method before deciding whether two offers are alike.
Teachers’ Pension and supply
Working in a school does not automatically mean that your supply earnings enter a teachers’ pension scheme. Start by identifying your employer and the scheme attached to that employment.
Last reviewed: 20 September 2026. Official guidance and individual arrangements can change.