New TSC Salary Scales, Job Grades, and Allowances in 2025

For a long time, teachers in Kenya have been the most underrated professionals, with low salaries. For this reason, we have seen several Teachers strike in the country, advocating for better pay. So, did teachers’ salaries increase? How much does the year and so much more? Well, these are but a few questions that this article will address. Here is all to know

Jump Into What Matters

In Kenya, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is an essential player in the education sector. It’s responsible for teachers’ recruitment, registration, deployment, remuneration, and promotion. TSC and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) have revised the TSC Salaries Job groups, which have seen teachers earn higher salaries through the collective bargaining agreements from 2021 to the end of 2025. Alongside the Salaries they receive based on Job groups, teachers also receive various allowances that end up in their Gross pay.

The New TSC Job Titles And T-Scales

Teachers’ Salaries in Kenya for the 2024/25 financial year are determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed on 13 July 2021. This was after the Teachers Service Commission, SRC, and Teachers Unions in Kenya (KUPPET, KNUT, KUSNET) resorted to ending the teachers’ strike, which targeted addressing issues related to teachers promoting and implementing the 2021 to 2025 CBA

As per the agreement, teachers’ salaries will be implemented in two (2) phases, effective July 2023. The first phase has already been implemented, and now we are in the second phase, which started on 1 July 2024 and will end on 30 June 2025.

In addition, as per the CBA agreement, the TSC has introduced new Job Grades and T-Scales as follows:

TABLE 1-	JOB TITLES AND T-SCALES
S/No.	TITLES	GRADE	T- SCALE
1.	Chief Principal	D5	T-Scale 15
2.	Senior Principal	D4	T-Scale 14
3.	Principal	D3	T-Scale 13
	Deputy Principal I
	Chief Curriculum Support Officer
4.	Deputy Principal II	D2	T-Scale 12
	Senior Master I
	Senior Lecturer I
	Senior Curriculum Support Officer
5.	Senior Master II
	Deputy Principal III	D1	T-Scale 11
	Deputy Head Teacher II
	Senior Lecturer II
	Curriculum Support Officer I
	Senior Master III
6.	Senior Lecturer III
	Senior Headteacher	C5	T-Scale 10
	Deputy Head Teacher II
	Curriculum Support Officer II
7.	Senior Lecturer IV
	Senior Master IV
	Deputy Head teacher II	C4	T-Scale 9
8.	Secondary Teacher I
	Lecturer I	C3	T-Scale 8
	Senior Teacher I
9.	Secondary Teacher II
	Lecturer II
	Senior Teacher II	C2	T-Scale 7
10.	Secondary Teacher III
	Lecturer III	C1	T-Scale 6
	Primary Teacher I
11.	Primary Teacher II	B5	T-Scale 5

What is the salary structure of TSC in 2025?

Like Civil servants in Kenya, teachers’ salaries follow the same pattern. What we mean is that teachers’ salaries are influenced mainly by their Job Grades or scale. Also, their experience and Positions matter the most. That’s why chief principals earn more, up to KES 162,539, than teachers starting at the lower Job Grade B5, earning as low as KES 22,793.

To help you understand, below are all teachers’ salaries in Kenya as per their Job Grades as of 1st July 2024:

Chief Principals (GRADE D5 – TSCALE 15)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
	SALARY
1	131,380
2	135,436
3	139,617
4	143,927
5	148,370
6	152,951
7	157,672
8	162,539

Senior Principals (GRADE D4 – T SCALE 14)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	118,242
2	121,893
3	125,656
4	129,535
5	133,534
6	137,656
7	141,906
8	146,286

Principals And Deputy Principal 1 /Chief Curriculum Support Officer (GRADE D3 – T SCALE 13)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	106,043
2	109,630
3	113,337
4	117,170
5	121,132
6	125,229
7	129,463

Deputy Principals II And Senior Master I / Senior Lecturer 1/Senior Curriculum Support Officer (GRADE D2 – T SCALE 12)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	92,496
2	95,136
3	97,851
4	100,644
5	103,516
6	106,470
7	109,508
8	112,633

Senior Master II, Deputy Principal III/Senior Headteacher/ Senior Lecture II/ Curriculum Support Officer 1(GRADE D1 – T SCALE 11)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	78,625
2	80,946
3	83,335
4	85,795
5	88,327
6	90,934
7	93,618
8	96,381

Senior Master III/Senior Lecturer III/Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher I/Curriculum Support Officer II (GRADE C5 – T SCALE 10)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	62,272
2	64,880
3	67,597
4	70,428
5	73,377
6	76,450
7	79,651

Senior Master IV/ Senior Lecturer IV/ Deputy Headteacher II (GRADE C4 – T SCALE 9)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	52,308
2	54,403
3	56,582
4	58,848
5	61,205
6	63,657
7	66,206
8	68,857

Secondary Teacher I/Lecturer I /Senior Teacher I (GRADE C3 – T SCALE 8)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	45,671
2	48,085
3	50,626
4	53,302
5	56,119
6	59,084

Secondary Teacher II/ Lecturer II / Senior Teacher II (GRADE C2 – T SCALE 7)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	38,286
2	40,034
3	41,861
4	43,772
5	45,770
6	47,858

Secondary Teacher III / Lecturer III / Primary Teacher I /GRADE C1 – T SCALE 6)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	29,787
2	31,147
3	32,569
4	34,055
5	35,609
6	37,234

Primary Teacher II (GRADE B5 – T SCALE 5)

SALARY POINT	SALARY
1	23,830
2	24,918
3	26,055
4	27,244
5	28,487
6	29,787

TSC New Allowances 2025

As a teacher in Kenya, your earnings go beyond your basic salary. You are entitled to receive TSC allowances, either remunerative or Reimbursement allowances, which are given when you apply.

The thing with teachers’ allowances is that they are not distributed equally to every teacher. Similarly, the base salaries and allowances are also subject to various factors such as Job Grades and location, mostly

Below are all the allowances that teachers in Kenya are entitled to receive:

Housing Allowance

TSC Housing allowance explicitly serves the housing needs of teachers in various counties. So basically, the Housing allowances are put into three clusters, with Teachers in Nairobi earning more than teachers in other parts of the country. The clusters are based on the idea of compensating teachers in cities and major urban centres with higher salaries due to the strenuous living conditions in these regions, as compared to those in rural parts

The clusters are as follows: –

Cluster 1: Nairobi City
Cluster 2: Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi and Kitale municipalities
Cluster 3: All Other areas

The housing allowance salary figures are as follows:

S/No	Grade	TSC Scale	CLUSTER 1 (Nairobi City)	CLUSTER 2 (Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru Cities, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi and Kitale Municipalities)	CLUSTER 3 (All other Areas)
1	B5	5	6,750	4,500	3,850
2	C1	6	10,000	7,500	5,800
3	C2	7	16,500	12,800	9,600
4	C3	8	28,000	22,000	16,500
5	C4	9	28,000	22,000	16,500
6	C5	10	35,000	25,500	18,000
7	D1	11	45,000	28,000	21,000
8	D2	12	45,000	28,000	21,000
9	D3	13	45,000	28,000	21,000
10	D4	14	45,000	28,000	21,000
11	D5	15	50,000	35,000	25,000

Hardship Allowance, Transportation Allowance, Annual Leave Compensation, and Disability Assistance Allowance.

Other allowances teachers receive in Kenya, along with their salaries, are:

S/No.	Grade	TSC Scale	Hardship Allowance	Commuter Allowance	Annual Leave Allowance	Disability Guide Allowance
1	B5	5	6,600	4,000	4,000	20,000
2	C1	6	8,200	4,000	4,000	20,000
3	C2	7	10,900	5,000	6,000	20,000
4	C3	8	12,300	6,000	6,000	20,000
5	C4	9	14,650	8,000	6,000	20,000
6	C5	10	17,100	8,000	6,000	20,000
7	D1	11	27,300	12,000	10,000	20,000
8	D2	12	27,300	12,000	10,000	20,000
9	D3	13	31,500	14,000	10,000	20,000
10	D4	14	31,500	14,000	10,000	20,000
11	D5	15	38,100	16,000	10,000	20,000

Questions And Answers

Is there a pay rise for teachers in 2025?

Yes, a pay rise for teachers is planned for July 2025. The Kenyan Treasury has allocated KSh 17 billion to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) specifically for salary increments, with KSh 10 billion set aside for salary adjustments and KSh 6.9 billion for boosting basic salaries.

What are the allowances for C1 teachers?

C1 teachers receive several allowances, including:

Commuter allowance
Leave allowance
Hardship allowance (if posted in designated areas)
House allowance (varies by location)

How much are JSS teachers paid?

Newly employed JSS teachers (often in job group C2) earn a basic salary ranging from about KSh 38,286 to KSh 47,858 per month, plus allowances such as commuter, house, and hardship

How is TSC gratuity calculated?

It is a lump sum paid at the end of service, often calculated as a percentage of the final basic salary multiplied by the number of years served

How to move from C2 to C3 in TSC?

To move from job group C2 to C3, a teacher must:

Meet the minimum years of service in C2 (usually three years)
Demonstrate satisfactory performance and professional development
Apply for promotion when TSC advertises vacancies
Pass the required interviews and assessments

What is the lowest-paid teacher in Kenya?

The lowest-paid teacher is in job group B5, earning a basic salary of KSh 23,830 per month after the recent increment, plus allowances

How much are TSC interns paid?

TSC interns earn about KSh 20,000 for primary school interns and KSh 25,000 for secondary school interns

What is the highest-paid teacher’s salary?

The Chief Principal in the TSC Garde D5 earns a basic salary of KSh 162,539 per month

What is the retirement age for TSC teachers?

60 years

How long is TSC maternity leave?

120 days