TSC Salary in Kenya: Salary Scale, Job Groups and Allowances (2026)

Teachers across Kenya are earning more in 2026 than at any point in the last decade, thanks to the ongoing 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and the three teacher unions — KNUT, KUPPET, and KUSNET. Yet TSC pay is not a single figure. It is a structured system built around job groups, T-Scales, qualifications, experience, and a wide range of allowances that can significantly change what lands in a teacher's bank account every month.

This guide breaks down exactly how much TSC teachers earn in 2026 — from the newest Primary Teacher II at Grade B5 to the Chief Principal at Grade D5 — along with the allowances, promotion pathways, and salary review mechanisms that shape teacher pay in Kenya.

The second pay phase of the 2025–2029 CBA took effect on 1 July 2026. The section What changed on 1 July 2026 below explains it, and the tables further down show the Phase I rates and the 2028/29 targets for every job group.

Quick facts before you dive in:

• TSC is the constitutional body that recruits, deploys, promotes, and pays all public school teachers in Kenya.
• Salaries differ mainly by job group/grade, which reflects a teacher's qualification, role, and responsibility level.
• Teachers move up the pay scale through annual increments, promotions, and periodic CBA-driven salary reviews.
• On top of basic salary, teachers receive house, commuter, hardship, leave, and other allowances that can add tens of thousands of shillings to monthly earnings.
• The current pay structure is governed by the 2025–2029 CBA, a four-year, KSh 33.75 billion agreement being rolled out in four phases from July 2025 to June 2029.

What Changed on 1 July 2026: Phase II of the 2025–2029 CBA

Phase II of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between TSC and the teachers' unions started on 1 July 2026. These are the figures and rules TSC confirmed in its circular of 16 July 2026.

Who the new salary scales cover

In a circular dated 16 July 2026, the Teachers Service Commission directed all Regional Directors, County Directors and Sub-County Directors to immediately implement the revised salary scales.

According to the Commission, the revised salary structure will remain effective from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, representing the second implementation phase of the current 2025–2029 CBA.

The Teachers Service Commission stated that the revised salary scales apply to all teachers in service as at 1 July 2026, with the exception of teachers serving on internship terms.

The Commission further directed that teachers will retain their existing job groups, job titles and incremental dates during the migration to the new salary structure.

Teachers whose annual salary increment falls on 1 July 2026 will first receive their annual increment under the previous salary scales before being migrated to the revised salary points on the same date.

How much salaries went up

The revised salary structure provides varying monthly increments depending on job grade and salary point.

The highest monthly increase of KSh2,055 will be received by Secondary Teacher I officers serving under Grade C3.

The lowest monthly increase, beginning at KSh693, will be received by Deputy Principals II.

Chief Principals sit in Grade D5 (T-Scale 15), the highest grade in the teaching service. Under Phase II, their basic salary band is Ksh 133,351 to Ksh 164,977 a month — an increase of Ksh 986 at the entry point over the previous phase.

Notably, this is a smaller percentage increase than several classroom-teaching grades received. Secondary Teacher I (Grade C3) and Secondary Teacher II (Grade C2) recorded the largest monthly increases of the entire review — Ksh 2,055 and Ksh 2,030 respectively — even though their overall pay remains far below that of school administrators. TSC has said the adjustment places relatively greater emphasis on classroom-based teachers this phase.

Phase II salary ranges for senior grades

Note: These are the senior grades whose Phase II ranges have been reported. TSC's circular covers every grade, so confirm your own salary point in the circular or on your July or August 2026 payslip.

Allowances did not change

The Teachers Service Commission confirmed that the implementation of the revised salary structure does not affect teachers' allowances.

The Commission stated that the following allowances will continue to be paid at the existing rates where applicable:

• House allowance
• Hardship allowance
• Commuter allowance
• Baggage allowance
• Annual leave allowance
• Disability guide allowance

No adjustments were announced for these allowances under the second phase of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

How the four CBA phases work

The current CBA is valued at roughly Ksh 33.7 billion and runs in four phases across the 2025/26 to 2028/29 financial years:

• Phase I took effect July 1, 2025, at a cost of about Ksh 8.4 billion in salaries and allowances.
• Phase II took effect July 1, 2026, following a TSC circular dated July 16, 2026, and remains in force until June 30, 2027.
• Phases III and IV are scheduled for the 2027/28 and 2028/29 financial years respectively.

How TSC Determines Teacher Salaries

TSC pay isn't arbitrary — it follows a defined framework built on several factors that work together to determine what a teacher takes home.

Job Group and T-Scale Every teacher is placed on a job group (B5, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, D1, D2, D3, D4, or D5), which corresponds to a T-Scale (TSC Scale 5 to TSC Scale 15). The job group is the single biggest determinant of basic salary, since each grade has its own minimum-to-maximum salary band.

Grade and Designation Within each job group, teachers hold specific designations — for example, Grade C3 covers Secondary Teacher I, Senior Teacher I, and Lecturer I. The designation reflects the specific role a teacher plays in a school, whether classroom teaching, subject leadership, or institutional administration.

Experience and Length of Service Teachers do not start at the top of their grade's salary band. A newly employed teacher begins near the minimum of the scale and moves up through annual increments as they gain years of service, staying within the same grade until they qualify for promotion.

Academic and Professional Qualifications A teacher's entry qualification determines their starting job group. Diploma holders in secondary schools typically start at Grade C1, while degree holders start at Grade C2. Teachers who upgrade their qualifications — for instance moving from a diploma to a bachelor's degree — can apply to have their salary re-graded upward.

Promotions Movement to a higher job group (say, from C2 to C3, or from C5 to D1) happens through TSC promotion interviews, which consider academic qualifications, performance appraisal, disciplinary record, and years of service in the current grade. Promotions bring an immediate jump in basic salary and allowances.

Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) The CBA is the master document that governs periodic salary reviews for all TSC employees. Negotiated between TSC, SRC, and the teacher unions, it sets out phased salary increments over a multi-year period. The current 2025–2029 CBA is being implemented in four phases, each running from July to June, with the final phase completing in June 2029.

TSC Salary Scale by Job Group: Phase I Rates and 2028/29 Targets

Below is the basic monthly salary scale for all TSC job groups under the 2025–2029 CBA. Figures show the Phase 1 rates (effective July 2025) alongside the final Phase 4 rates that will apply by the 2028/29 financial year. These are basic salary only, before allowances. Phase II, in force since 1 July 2026, is higher than the Phase I figures shown here for the same grades (see the Phase II ranges above).

Note: Minor variations of a few hundred to a few thousand shillings appear across different TSC circulars and news reports for the same grade — always confirm your exact salary point against your official TSC payslip or the latest gazetted circular, since the figure within a grade depends on your specific years of service.

Large tables like this one are useful for quick reference, but the real picture of teacher pay only becomes clear once you look at each grade individually — including duties, promotion routes, and the allowances attached to it.

TSC Job Titles by Grade and T-Scale

Each job group covers several job titles. This table shows which titles sit in which grade and T-Scale.

TSC Salary by Job Group

The figures below are Phase I (2025/26) rates, with the 2028/29 target in brackets. Phase II ranges for the senior grades are in the section above.

Grade B5 – Primary Teacher II

This is the entry point for newly employed primary school teachers, typically holders of a Primary Teacher Education (PTE) certificate or diploma. Duties are focused on classroom teaching at primary level.

• Salary: Ksh 25,075 – 30,448 (rising to Ksh 28,620 – 37,100 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 4,000), leave allowance (Ksh 4,000/year), house allowance (varies by cluster), plus hardship allowance where applicable.
• Promotion path: After serving the minimum required period and meeting performance and academic requirements, B5 teachers can be promoted to C1.

Grade C1 – Primary Teacher I / Secondary Teacher III

Diploma holders in secondary schools and experienced primary teachers fall here. Teachers handle full teaching loads and may take on co-curricular responsibilities.

• Salary: Ksh 31,787 – 39,740 (rising to Ksh 35,336 – 47,261 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 4,000), leave allowance (Ksh 4,000/year), house and hardship allowances as applicable.
• Promotion path: Diploma holders can move to C2 after a set number of years of service, or immediately upon upgrading to a degree qualification.

Grade C2 – Senior Teacher II / Secondary Teacher II

This is the standard entry grade for degree-holding secondary school teachers. It also covers experienced C1 teachers who have been elevated after years of service.

• Salary: Ksh 39,074 – 50,201 (rising to Ksh 41,420 – 57,230 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 5,000), leave allowance (Ksh 6,000/year), plus house and hardship allowances.
• Promotion path: Progresses to C3 through interviews or automatic upgrading based on service length and performance appraisal.

Grade C3 – Senior Teacher I / Secondary Teacher I / Lecturer I

A mid-career grade covering experienced classroom teachers, subject heads, and lecturers in teacher training colleges.

• Salary: Ksh 46,698 – 60,874 (rising to Ksh 49,781 – 66,233 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 6,000), house allowance (roughly Ksh 16,500 – 28,000 depending on duty station cluster), hardship and disability guide allowances where applicable, leave allowance (Ksh 6,000/year).
• Promotion path: Interviews for Deputy Headteacher II (C4) or equivalent administrative roles.

Grade C4 – Deputy Headteacher II / Senior Master IV

This grade marks the first step into school leadership, combining teaching duties with limited administrative responsibility.

• Salary: Ksh 53,864 – 70,947 (rising to Ksh 58,585 – 77,120 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 8,000), house allowance (up to Ksh 31,000 in Nairobi, lower in other clusters), hardship and leave allowances.
• Promotion path: Progresses to Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher I (C5) through TSC promotion interviews.

Grade C5 – Headteacher / Deputy Headteacher I / Senior Master III

Covers primary school headteachers and senior secondary teaching staff who manage significant administrative or departmental responsibilities.

• Salary: Ksh 64,140 – 83,770 (rising to Ksh 69,745 – 96,130 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 8,000), leave allowance (Ksh 6,000/year), house and hardship allowances.
• Promotion path: Moves into senior school leadership at D1 (Deputy Principal III / Senior Headteacher) via interviews.

Grade D1 – Deputy Principal III / Senior Headteacher / Curriculum Support Officer

The entry point into senior leadership. Teachers here shape school culture, oversee discipline, and manage staff performance beyond the classroom.

• Salary: Ksh 79,213 – 97,103 (rising to Ksh 80,984 – 99,272 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 12,000), leave allowance (Ksh 10,000/year), house and hardship allowances.
• Promotion path: Progresses to Deputy Principal II (D2) based on performance and years in grade.

Grade D2 – Deputy Principal II / Senior Curriculum Support Officer

Covers deputies in larger institutions and senior support officers with broader oversight responsibilities.

• Salary: Ksh 93,189 – 113,633 (rising to Ksh 95,271 – 116,070 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 12,000), leave allowance (Ksh 10,000/year), house and hardship allowances.
• Promotion path: Interviews for Principal/Deputy Principal I roles at D3.

Grade D3 – Principal / Deputy Principal I

Principals of sub-county and extra-county schools sit here, alongside deputy principals in national and larger extra-county schools.

• Salary: Ksh 106,736 – 130,434 (rising to Ksh 109,224 – 133,347 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 14,000), leave allowance (Ksh 10,000/year), house and hardship allowances.
• Promotion path: Moves to Senior Principal (D4) after successful institutional leadership record and interviews.

Grade D4 – Senior Principal

Senior Principals typically head larger, high-performing extra-county or national schools, with substantial administrative and financial oversight.

• Salary: Ksh 119,128 – 147,383 (rising to Ksh 121,789 – 150,675 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 14,000), leave allowance (Ksh 10,000/year), house allowance among the highest in the scale.
• Promotion path: Interviews for Chief Principal (D5), the top of the teaching career ladder.

Grade D5 – Chief Principal

The apex grade for teachers, reserved for heads of national schools and top-tier education administrators.

• Salary: Ksh 132,365 – 163,748 (rising to Ksh 135,321 – 167,415 by 2028/29)
• Allowances: Commuter (Ksh 16,000) — the highest commuter rate in the scale — plus leave allowance (Ksh 10,000/year) and the highest house allowance band.
• Promotion path: Represents the ceiling of the TSC teaching career progression; further advancement typically means moving into TSC headquarters or Ministry of Education administrative roles.

TSC Allowances

Basic salary is only part of the picture. TSC pays several allowances that can meaningfully increase a teacher's gross monthly income.

House Allowance Paid based on the teacher's job group and the location of their duty station. TSC groups stations into clusters — Nairobi, major municipalities (e.g., Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri), minor municipalities, and other areas — with Nairobi attracting the highest rates. For example, a Grade C4 teacher posted in Nairobi receives a noticeably higher house allowance than one posted in a rural cluster.

Commuter Allowance A flat monthly rate that rises with job group, from Ksh 4,000 for entry-level B5/C1 teachers up to Ksh 16,000 for Chief Principals (D5), designed to offset transport costs to and from school.

Hardship Allowance Paid to teachers posted in designated hardship areas — regions affected by challenges such as water scarcity, insecurity, flooding, or generally harsh living conditions. Rates scale with job group, ranging from roughly Ksh 6,600 at the lowest grades to over Ksh 38,000 at the highest.

Leave Allowance A once-a-year cash payment made at the start of the year to support teachers during the annual leave period. It ranges from Ksh 4,000 for Grades B5/C1, Ksh 6,000 for Grades C2–C5, up to Ksh 10,000 for Grades D1–D5.

Disability Guide Allowance Paid to teachers living with disabilities who require a guide to carry out their duties, recognizing the additional support needs of these educators.

Responsibility Allowance Paid to teachers who take on extra administrative or leadership duties beyond their core teaching role, such as heads of department or examination coordinators, in recognition of the added workload.

Special Duty Allowance Applies to teachers assigned specific, time-bound responsibilities outside their normal schedule, such as acting in a higher office or managing a special project or task force.

Other benefits in the TSC package include a baggage allowance for teachers transferred to a new station, and lactation breaks for nursing mothers, both strengthened under the 2025–2029 CBA.

Highest Paid TSC Teachers

At the top of the TSC pay structure sit teachers in senior school leadership:

Under Phase II, the Chief Principal band is now Ksh 133,351 to Ksh 164,977 a month. The Phase I values and 2028/29 targets below remain useful for comparing grades.

• Chief Principal (Grade D5): The single highest-earning TSC position, with basic pay reaching over Ksh 163,000 and climbing toward Ksh 167,000+ by the end of the current CBA, plus the highest commuter and house allowance bands in the scale.
• Senior Principal (Grade D4): Heads of large, high-performing schools, earning basic pay approaching Ksh 150,000 by 2028/29.
• Principal (Grade D3): School heads at sub-county and extra-county level, with basic pay above Ksh 130,000.
• Deputy Principal (Grades D1–D2): The senior leadership tier just below principalship, with basic salaries ranging roughly from Ksh 79,000 to over Ksh 116,000 depending on grade and years of service.

These top earners combine strong basic salaries with the highest allowance rates in the system, making total monthly compensation for a Chief Principal in a well-resourced cluster considerably higher than the basic salary alone suggests.

Lowest Paid TSC Teachers

At the entry end of the scale:

• Primary Teacher II (Grade B5): The lowest-paid category in TSC, made up of newly employed primary school teachers, typically diploma or certificate holders. Basic pay starts at roughly Ksh 25,000–30,000, rising toward Ksh 28,600–37,100 by 2028/29.
• Diploma holders: Secondary school teachers who join with a diploma qualification start at Grade C1, one step above B5, with somewhat higher pay but still at the lower end of the scale.
• Newly employed teachers generally: Regardless of grade, new recruits start at the minimum point of their grade's salary band and only reach the maximum after years of incremental growth or promotion.

While entry-level pay is modest, allowances such as house and commuter allowance, along with annual increments, help improve take-home pay over time even before a promotion is achieved.

TSC Salary Increment

Teacher pay grows through three distinct mechanisms:

Annual Increments Every year, on the anniversary of their employment or last promotion, teachers move up one increment point within their current job group's salary band — provided they remain within the grade's minimum-to-maximum range.

Promotion Increments When a teacher is promoted to a higher job group — for example from C3 to C4 — their salary jumps to a point within the new, higher grade's band, which is a bigger increase than a routine annual increment.

CBA Increments Periodically, TSC, SRC, and the teacher unions negotiate a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that revises the entire salary structure across all grades. The current 2025–2029 CBA is being rolled out in four phases running from July 2025 to June 2029, with each phase applying a fresh across-the-board adjustment to both basic salaries and allowances for every job group.

Will TSC Job Groups Be Replaced?

Yes — but not yet. In mid-2026, TSC proposed scrapping the B5–D5 grading structure altogether in favour of a simplified "Levels 1–6" career progression framework, intended to cut the time it takes a teacher to rise from entry grade to the top grade from roughly 30 years to about 16–18 years. The proposal went through stakeholder consultations in June 2026 and was signed as part of new Career Progression Guidelines with teacher unions.

However, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) rejected the restructuring in July 2026, meaning the traditional B5–D5 grades and T-Scales remain the official structure for now. TSC's July 16, 2026 salary circular confirmed this explicitly, stating that "the current grading structure and designations will continue to apply." Teachers should expect further proposals on this front, but no B5–D5 grade currently in use has been abolished.

What Is the Difference Between Basic Salary and Gross Salary?

Basic salary is the fixed monthly pay attached to a teacher's job group and salary point — the figures shown in the salary scale table above. It does not include any allowances.

Gross salary is the basic salary plus all applicable allowances — house, commuter, hardship, responsibility, special duty, and any others a teacher qualifies for. This is the total figure before statutory deductions such as PAYE tax, NSSF, NHIF/SHA contributions, and pension.

Net salary (take-home pay) is what remains after all statutory and other deductions are subtracted from the gross salary. For most TSC teachers, allowances — particularly house and commuter allowance — can add anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of shillings on top of basic pay, which is why two teachers on the same job group but in different locations can have noticeably different gross salaries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the starting salary of a TSC teacher? The starting salary depends on qualification and school level. A newly employed primary school teacher (Grade B5) starts at roughly Ksh 25,000–30,000 basic pay, while a diploma-holding secondary teacher (Grade C1) starts higher, and a degree-holding secondary teacher typically enters at Grade C2.

Which TSC job group earns the highest salary? Grade D5 (Chief Principal) is the highest-paying TSC job group, with basic salary exceeding Ksh 160,000 and rising further under the current CBA, plus the highest allowance rates in the structure.

Does TSC pay house allowance? Yes. TSC pays a house allowance to all teachers, with the rate depending on job group and the location cluster of the teacher's duty station, with Nairobi attracting the highest rates and rural areas the lowest.

Which teacher earns the highest salary in Kenya among TSC employees? Chief Principals at Grade D5, who head national schools, earn the highest total compensation once basic salary and top-tier allowances are combined.

How often does TSC increase salaries? Teachers receive routine annual increments within their grade, occasional promotion-based increases, and periodic across-the-board increases whenever a new CBA phase takes effect — currently happening in four phases between July 2025 and June 2029.

What allowances do TSC teachers receive? House allowance, commuter allowance, hardship allowance (for designated hardship areas), leave allowance, disability guide allowance, responsibility allowance, special duty allowance, and baggage allowance for transfers.

How much does a newly employed teacher earn? A newly employed Grade B5 primary teacher earns roughly Ksh 25,000–30,000 basic pay, while a newly employed secondary teacher at C1 or C2 earns somewhat more, before allowances are added.

Does qualification affect TSC salary? Yes. Entry qualification determines the starting job group — diploma holders typically enter at C1, degree holders at C2 — and upgrading qualifications while in service can qualify a teacher for a salary re-grading to a higher group.

What is TSC Job Group D5? D5 is the top job group in the Teachers Service Commission's grading structure, corresponding to T-Scale 15. It is held by Chief Principals, typically heads of the largest and highest-performing secondary schools.

When did the latest TSC salary increment take effect? The most recent increment (Phase II of the 2025–2029 CBA) took effect on July 1, 2026, following a TSC circular dated July 16, 2026, and applies through June 30, 2027.

Are TSC job groups (B5–D5) being scrapped? Not yet. TSC proposed replacing the B5–D5 structure with a "Levels 1–6" system in 2026, but the Salaries and Remuneration Commission rejected the proposal in July 2026. The existing B5–D5 grades and T-Scales remain in effect.

Do allowances change with each salary phase? No. TSC has confirmed that house, hardship, commuter, leave and disability guide allowances remain unchanged under Phase II; only basic salaries were revised.

Conclusion

TSC salaries in Kenya are shaped by a clear, structured system: your job group and grade set your basic salary band, your years of service and qualifications determine where you sit within that band, and promotions move you into a higher-paying grade altogether. On top of basic pay, allowances such as house, commuter, hardship, and leave allowance meaningfully boost total monthly earnings — and can vary substantially depending on where a teacher is posted.

The 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement is the current driver of periodic, structured salary reviews, with four phases of increments running through to June 2029. For the most accurate, personal figure, teachers should always check their specific salary point against their TSC payslip or the latest official TSC circular, since exact amounts can shift slightly between circulars and phases.

This article reflects TSC salary structures under the 2025–2029 CBA as reported in TSC circulars and education-sector news coverage current as of mid-2026. For official confirmation, consult the latest TSC salary circular or the TSC online payslip portal.

Related reading:

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