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What can you do with a Primary Education degree?
Quick answer
A Primary Education degree commonly leads to roles such as primary teacher (QTS path), teaching assistant and cover supervisor. Five years after graduating, Primary Education graduates had median earnings of £34,400 (middle half: £26,400–£37,000), and 91.7% were in sustained work or further study (DfE LEO, 2023–24 tax year). The largest employer sector for Education and teaching graduates is education (59.8% of those in work).
Primary education degrees that include QTS are professional teacher-training routes. Placements in schools are central. Official figures appear when an extract is loaded.
- Median pay after 1 year
- £27,400
- Median pay after 5 years
- £34,400
- In work or study after 5 years
- 91.7%
- Earnings rank at 5 years
- 70 of 146 subjects
- Top employer sector
- Education
- Graduates in latest cohort
- 4,380
On this page
What jobs can you get with a Primary Education degree?
Graduates commonly start as primary teacher (QTS path), teaching assistant, cover supervisor or learning support assistant. Primary Education also builds skills that employers outside the obvious routes ask for, so many graduates move into roles that do not name the subject at all.
Primary teacher (QTS path)
Plans and teaches a class under the school’s policies after QTS and induction rules.
Skills these adverts often ask for
- lesson planning
- safeguarding
- assessment
Teaching assistant
Skills these adverts often ask for
- small groups
- interventions
- classroom prep
Cover supervisor
Skills these adverts often ask for
- behaviour routines
- set work
- handover notes
Learning support assistant
Skills these adverts often ask for
- EHCP awareness
- personal care where trained
- records
Role examples and skills are CourseToJob editorial guidance, not a guarantee of a job. Pay for individual roles varies by employer and location; we do not attach a salary to a role unless an official source publishes one.
Where do Primary Education graduates work?
Five years after graduating, the largest employer sectors for Education and teaching graduates in UK employment were education (59.8%), health and social work (13%) and public administration and defence (7.6%). One year after graduating, the most common sector was education (59.5%).
| Industry sector | Share of graduates in work | Median earnings in that sector |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 59.8% | £31,500 |
| Health and social work | 13% | £24,200 |
| Public administration and defence | 7.6% | £31,100 |
| Administrative and support services | 4.8% | £21,600 |
| Wholesale and retail | 2.7% | £22,700 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 2.3% | £24,900 |
| Finance and insurance | 1.3% | £27,800 |
| Hospitality (accommodation and food) | 1.2% | £23,400 |
Most common specific industries
- Primary education — 42.1% of graduates in work, median £32,600
- Secondary education — 11.8% of graduates in work, median £31,100
- Other social work activities without accommodation — 7.1% of graduates in work, median £23,100
- Administration of the State and the economic and social policy of the community — 6.4% of graduates in work, median £31,500
- Other education — 3% of graduates in work, median £28,900
- Temporary employment agency activities — 2.5% of graduates in work, median £18,700
How much do Primary Education graduates earn?
Official dataPrimary Education graduates had median earnings of £27,400 one year after graduating and £34,400 five years after graduating in the 2023–24 tax year. The median across all first-degree graduates of GB higher education institutions was £33,700 at five years.
| Years after graduating | Median earnings | Middle half earned | In work or further study | All-subject median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year after graduatingGraduated 2021/2022 | £27,400DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £22,300–£27,800 | 94.5% | £26,400 |
| 3 years after graduatingGraduated 2019/2020 | £30,700DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £25,300–£31,800 | 93% | £30,000 |
| 5 years after graduatingGraduated 2017/2018 | £34,400DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £26,400–£37,000 | 91.7% | £33,700 |
| 10 years after graduatingGraduated 2012/2013 | £33,300DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £22,300–£41,000 | 88.6% | — |
How one-year earnings have changed
Which universities have the highest-earning Education and teaching graduates?
Among universities in our index with at least 50 Education and teaching graduates measured, University of Aberdeen had the highest median earnings five years after graduating (£44,300), followed by University of Edinburgh (£44,300) and University of Stirling (£42,500).
| University | Median earnings | Graduates measured |
|---|---|---|
| University of Aberdeen | £44,300 | 135 |
| University of Edinburgh | £44,300 | 145 |
| University of Stirling | £42,500 | 80 |
| University of Strathclyde | £42,100 | 200 |
| University of the West of Scotland | £42,100 | 60 |
| University of Dundee | £37,700 | 125 |
| University of Glasgow | £37,300 | 215 |
| St Mary's University, Twickenham | £35,900 | 235 |
| University of Roehampton | £35,500 | 295 |
| University of Brighton | £35,100 | 320 |
Is Primary Education the right degree for you?
EditorialYou may enjoy it if
- You want to teach a class of children across the curriculum.
- You accept that behaviour, safeguarding, and assessment are core skills.
- You like planning lessons and then adapting them in the room.
It may not suit you if
- You wanted a degree with no school placements.
- You dislike early starts, parents’ evenings, or marking.
- You expected to specialise in one academic subject only.
Interview questions for Primary Education graduate roles
EditorialTeaching-assistant and teacher-training interviews usually test safeguarding, how you talk to children, and whether you can reflect on a lesson. These prompts are editorial illustrations, not a provider’s actual questions.
A child tells you something that worries you after the bell. What do you do?
What it tests. Safeguarding: listen, record, report — do not promise secrecy.
The class is restless after lunch. How do you reset without shouting?
What it tests. Behaviour as a skill, not a personality trait.
How would you explain a simple maths idea two different ways?
What it tests. Adaptive teaching, which interviews for QTS routes look for.
A parent is unhappy about homework. How do you handle the conversation?
What it tests. Professional tone and knowing what you can and cannot change.
What would you want to know before covering a class you have not taught?
What it tests. Plans, medical/allergy information, and the school’s routines.
Course interviews. Teacher training and many undergraduate courses that lead to QTS interview applicants. Providers set the format. That admissions interview is separate from a job interview for a teaching assistant post.
Illustrative question types for the roles above, not questions from a named employer.
Find Primary Education graduate jobs
Searched by the entry-level roles aboveSearch UK vacancies connected to primary education. These are role matches, not guaranteed graduate-level jobs: read the experience, qualifications and work-permission requirements in each full advert.
Salary filters and ordering use the provider’s data, which can include estimates. Cards below show employer-listed pay only. Cached searches can be up to 30 minutes old; the employer’s advert confirms availability.
Checking vacancies for Primary teacher (QTS path)…
Prepare your application with teacher cv examples, teaching assistant cv examples, the free CV builder and the application tracker.
Is there an apprenticeship alternative to Primary Education?
EditorialTeacher degree apprenticeships are an employment-based route into QTS in some schools. This note is editorial.
Research exact university programmes
We have not added verified programme records for this subject yet. Use the official university catalogue for current courses, fees and entry requirements.
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Planning to study Primary Education in the UK?
Check the exact programme, entry requirements and total cost before applying. International applicants should also confirm qualification equivalence, English-language evidence and visa requirements.
Entry requirements & applicationsQualifications, English tests, documents and deadlines.International tuition & scholarshipsPlan fees, accommodation and funding.Student visas & work after studyUnderstand the next steps and find official guidance.
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Universities for Primary Education in our index
121 universitiesAn editorial provision index, not a live UCAS catalogue: confirm current courses on UCAS. CourseToJob is not UCAS.Open Primary Education in the full university explorer.
Show all 121 universities
Undergraduate applications are made on UCAS, not here.
Primary Education degree: frequently asked questions
What jobs can you do with a Primary Education degree?
Common starting roles include primary teacher (QTS path), teaching assistant, cover supervisor and learning support assistant. Five years after graduating, the most common sectors for Education and teaching graduates in work were education (59.8%), health and social work (13%) and public administration and defence (7.6%). These are examples, not guaranteed jobs: your experience, location and further training matter.
How much do Primary Education graduates earn in the UK?
DfE Longitudinal Education Outcomes data for the 2023–24 tax year shows median earnings for UK-domiciled Primary Education graduates of £27,400 one year after graduating, £30,700 three years after graduating, £34,400 five years after graduating and £33,300 ten years after graduating. Each figure describes a different graduating cohort, not one person's pay rise, and it is gross pay for those in sustained employment, not a starting salary offer.
Is a Primary Education degree worth it?
It depends on what you want to do. On the official data, 91.7% of Primary Education graduates were in sustained employment or further study five years after graduating, with median earnings of £34,400. For comparison, the median across all first-degree graduates of GB higher education institutions was £33,700 at the same point. That places Primary Education 70 of 146 subject groups by five-year median earnings. Earnings are only one factor: enjoyment of the subject, accreditation and the route into your target job matter too.
Which universities have the highest-earning Education and teaching graduates?
Among universities in our index with at least 50 graduates measured, the highest five-year median earnings for Education and teaching were at University of Aberdeen (£44,300), University of Edinburgh (£44,300) and University of Stirling (£42,500). These figures reflect entry grades, subject mix and where graduates work, so they are not a measure of teaching quality.
Can international students study Primary Education in the UK?
Yes, most UK universities accept international applicants, but entry requirements, recognised qualifications, English-language evidence and overseas tuition fees depend on the university and programme. Check the university course page and international admissions team, then check visa requirements on GOV.UK.
Skilled Worker visas
Sponsorship depends on the job's occupation code and the current Skilled Worker rules, not on a subject's median pay. A Skilled Worker decision uses the higher of the general threshold and the SOC going rate. Subject LEO medians are not sufficient. Read the Skilled Worker job rules on GOV.UK.