Salary guide · Uganda
Teacher salary in Uganda: government scales for 2026/27
Monthly pay for teachers in government primary and secondary schools from the Ministry of Public Service salary structure for 2026/27, with the 2025/26 figures beside them.
Teachers in government primary and secondary schools are paid on the scales the Ministry of Public Service publishes for each financial year. Circular Standing Instruction No. 6 of 2026 sets the structure in force from 1 July 2026. In 2026/27 every teaching post in this table has a single monthly figure for all points on its scale, so the figure for your post is the figure on the payroll before deductions.
| Post and scale | 2025/26 per month | 2026/27 per month |
|---|---|---|
| Head Teacher, primary (U4) | 777,512 to 980,211 | 1,537,976 |
| Deputy Head Teacher, primary (U5) | 662,165 to 773,952 | 1,357,964 |
| Senior Education Assistant, primary (U6) | 605,100 to 613,486 | 727,080 |
| Education Assistant, Grade III teacher (U7 Upper) | 499,684 to 568,166 | 700,000 |
| Teacher on trial terms (U7 Lower) | 261,326 | 261,326 |
| Head Teacher, secondary, science (U1E) | 6,500,000 | 6,500,000 |
| Head Teacher, secondary (U1E Lower) | 2,270,984 to 2,350,000 | 3,562,500 |
| Deputy Head Teacher, secondary, science (U2) | 4,500,000 | 4,500,000 |
| Deputy Head Teacher, secondary (U2 Lower) | 1,631,769 to 1,740,001 | 2,175,000 |
| Senior Education Officer, science teacher (U3) | 4,250,000 | 4,250,000 |
| Senior Education Officer, non-science teacher (U3 Lower) | 1,218,041 to 1,311,422 | 1,864,890 |
| Education Officer, science teacher (U4) | 4,000,000 | 4,000,000 |
| Education Officer, non-science teacher (U4 Lower) | 960,288 to 1,078,162 | 1,537,976 |
| Assistant Education Officer, science teacher (U5) | 2,200,000 | 2,200,000 |
| Assistant Education Officer, non-science teacher (U5 Lower) | 745,000 to 784,214 | 1,357,964 |
| Laboratory Technician, secondary school (U5) | 2,200,000 | 2,200,000 |
| Laboratory Assistant, secondary school (U7 Upper) | 550,000 | 550,000 |
These are gross monthly salaries in government schools before PAYE and other deductions. A range for 2025/26 means the scale had several salary points. Private schools set their own pay, so these figures are not an average for all teachers in Uganda.
Science and arts teachers are paid differently
In secondary schools the 2026/27 structure keeps separate rates for science teachers. An Education Officer who teaches science is on UGX 4,000,000 a month, while an Education Officer in a non-science subject is on UGX 1,537,976.
The circular lists who received an increase for 2026/27: head teachers, deputy head teachers, senior education assistants and education assistants in primary schools, and head teachers, deputies and teachers with a background in humanities in secondary schools. That is why the non-science rows rose and the science rows stayed the same.
Match your post and scale before comparing
Your appointment letter and the advert give the post title and the salary scale. District adverts use the same codes: Jinja District advertised Education Assistant posts at U7 and a Head Teacher at U4 in its 2025/26 recruitment, and Lyantonde District advertised Education Assistant II posts at U7 in September 2026.
When we checked on 12 October 2026, none of the teaching adverts on work.co.ug published a salary figure, so private and international schools are not covered here. Ask the school for the monthly gross figure, the allowances and the deductions in writing.
From the scale to the amount you receive
PAYE starts above UGX 335,000 a month. For a Grade III teacher on UGX 700,000, PAYE is UGX 98,250 in a month without Local Service Tax, which leaves UGX 601,750 before loans, union dues or other deductions on the payslip.
Local Service Tax for this pay is UGX 60,000 a year, usually taken in four parts from July to October. Teachers on pensionable terms in the public service are outside NSSF. Use the take-home pay calculator to try your own figure.
Sources
Checked 12 October 2026. Each figure keeps the period and scope of its source.
- Ministry of Public Service: Circular Standing Instruction No. 6 of 2026, salary structure for 2026/27
- Jinja District Service Commission: external advert No. 1 of 2025/26
- Lyantonde District Service Commission: external advert No. 4 of 2026 (September 2026)
- URA: PAYE rates for resident employees
- KCCA: Local Service Tax rates and exemptions
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