Early education and childcare practitioners Pay Data UK — 2025

Early education and childcare practitioners roles in the UK earn a median of £24,500 per year, equivalent to £13.75 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 12.9% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £22,000 in Wales to £27,000 in Scotland. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £23,717/yr (3% above our computed national average).

Labour Market

There is currently not sufficient data available for this occupation to say anything about the labour market.

Pay by Region

Annual pay for Early education and childcare practitioners across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.

Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).

How Pay Has Changed Over Time

Annual pay grew by +12.9% from 2024 to 2025.

National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.

Year-on-Year Pay Change

Annual percentage change in median pay for Early education and childcare practitioners.

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Early education and childcare practitioners

Early education and childcare practitioners lead the learning and development of and care for children from birth up to five years of age in a school, nursery, or childcare environment.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• plans children’s day and activities and leads on social, language and numerical development
• coordinates observation and assessment on children’s play, development and learning
• identifies and responds to health and safety issues
• leads on preparing children for transitions to different settings, including school.
• communicates with parents, colleagues and external professionals on children’s development and health and well-being
• supervises and supports other early education and childcare workers
• coordinates nurturing care in bathing, dressing, preparation of feeds, feeding babies, and in changing babies and toddlers clothing whenever necessary
• provides a secure and supportive environment and supervises young children at mealtimes
• promotes and leads physical activities and children’s games, play, creativity, and problem solving

Entry Routes and Qualifications

Qualified practitioners need to have achieved an early years degree qualification, such as Early Years Professional, Early Years Teacher, Early Childhood Studies Degree, Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies. A DBS check is mandatory.

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.