TSC salary scale 2026/27 by job group, and a take-home pay calculator
From 1 July 2026 TSC teachers earn between KSh 26,225 (grade B5) and KSh 164,977 (grade D5) a month in basic pay, under Phase 2 of the 2025 to 2029 CBA. Pick your grade below to see your range, add your allowances and get an estimate of your take-home pay after PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and the housing levy. We are not TSC, and your payslip is the final word.
Last checked 26 October 2026. Every figure below names its source.
Basic salary by job group, from 1 July 2026
The first and last salary point of each grade a month. Teachers keep their grade and title and move to the new salary points. The circular is TSC Circular No. 12/2026 of 16 July 2026, as reported by Education News Hub. We could not open the TSC circular itself, so check yours against it.
| Grade | Title where the sources give one | First point | Last point |
|---|---|---|---|
| D5 | Chief Principal | KSh 133,351 | KSh 164,977 |
| D4 | Senior Principal | KSh 120,016 | KSh 148,480 |
| D3 | Principal | KSh 107,634 | KSh 131,405 |
| D2 | Deputy Principal II | KSh 93,883 | KSh 114,322 |
| D1 | Not confirmed in the sources | KSh 80,500 | KSh 97,827 |
| C5 | Not confirmed in the sources | KSh 68,948 | KSh 82,160 |
| C4 | Not confirmed in the sources | KSh 57,667 | KSh 72,988 |
| C3 | Secondary Teacher I | KSh 48,754 | KSh 62,659 |
| C2 | Secondary Teacher II | KSh 41,100 | KSh 50,287 |
| C1 | Secondary Teacher III and Primary Teacher I | KSh 32,423 | KSh 41,072 |
| B5 | Primary Teacher II | KSh 26,225 | KSh 33,444 |
Sources: Education News Hub and The Eastleigh Voice. Checked 26 October 2026. Intern teachers are not covered by Phase 2.
House allowance by duty station
A monthly amount that depends on your grade and where you work. We could read the rates for six grades. For the rest, use your payslip.
| Grade | Nairobi City | Cluster 2 towns | All other areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| B5 | KSh 6,750 | KSh 4,500 | KSh 3,850 |
| C1 | KSh 10,000 | KSh 7,500 | KSh 5,800 |
| C2 | KSh 16,500 | KSh 12,800 | KSh 9,600 |
| C3 | KSh 28,000 | KSh 22,000 | KSh 16,500 |
| D1 | KSh 45,000 | KSh 28,000 | KSh 21,000 |
| D5 | KSh 50,000 | KSh 35,000 | KSh 25,000 |
Cluster 2 is Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Thika, Nyeri, Kisii, Malindi, Kakamega and Kitale. Source: Education News Hub, checked 26 October 2026. Hardship, commuter, annual leave, disability guide and baggage allowances continue where they apply. Annual leave allowance is paid once a year.
Take-home pay calculator
Nothing you type leaves your phone or computer. See also how to view and read your TSC payslip.
Change the rates
Estimate for one month
| Gross pay | KSh 65,254 |
|---|---|
| NSSF (6% up to KSh 108,000) | - KSh 3,915 |
| SHIF (2.75% of gross) | - KSh 1,794 |
| Housing levy (1.5% of gross) | - KSh 979 |
| Taxable pay | KSh 58,565 |
| Tax before relief | KSh 12,353 |
| Personal relief | - KSh 2,400 |
| PAYE | - KSh 9,953 |
| Other deductions you typed | - KSh 0 |
| Estimated take-home pay | KSh 48,612 |
An estimate, not your payslip. Your T-Pay payslip is the final word, because TSC may apply other deductions, reliefs or a different rate. Tax is worked out on pay after NSSF, SHIF and the housing levy, as KRA lists them.
How the estimate is worked out
- Gross pay is your basic salary plus house allowance plus other allowances you enter.
- NSSF is 6% of earnings up to KSh 108,000 for the employee, so at most KSh 6,480 a month (Tier 1 KSh 540 plus Tier 2 KSh 5,940), the Year 4 rates from February 2026 (NSSF notice).
- SHIF is taken as 2.75% of gross pay, and the affordable housing levy as 1.5% of gross pay (Business Daily, Clyde & Co). We could not confirm the SHIF rate on an official SHA page, so you can change it.
- Taxable pay is gross pay less NSSF, SHIF and the housing levy, which KRA lists as amounts that reduce taxable pay.
- PAYE uses the KRA bands a month: 10% on the first KSh 24,000, 25% on the next KSh 8,333, 30% on the next KSh 467,667, 32.5% on the next KSh 300,000, 35% above KSh 800,000, less personal relief of KSh 2,400 (KRA).
- We did not apply insurance relief, mortgage interest or pension above NSSF, because they depend on your own papers. If you have them, your actual PAYE is lower.
Keep going
Questions people ask
- What is the TSC salary scale for 2026/27?
- From 1 July 2026 a teacher's basic salary runs from KSh 26,225 at the first point of grade B5 (Primary Teacher II) to KSh 164,977 at the top of grade D5 (Chief Principal). The table on this page gives the first and last salary point of every grade. The figures come from Phase 2 of the 2025 to 2029 CBA, as printed from the TSC circular by Education News Hub.
- When did the new salaries start?
- On 1 July 2026. Phase 2 of the CBA runs to 30 June 2027, and the revised pay was reported as paid in the August 2026 payroll. Phase 2 does not cover intern teachers.
- How much did teachers' pay go up?
- The Kenya Times reports a rise of between KSh 693 and KSh 2,055 a month depending on grade. The largest went to Secondary Teacher I (C3) and the smallest to Deputy Principals II. Teachers keep their grades and titles and move to new salary points, and keep their increment dates.
- How much is a teacher's house allowance?
- It depends on your grade and your duty station. The circular groups stations into three clusters: Nairobi City, a second group of larger towns, and everywhere else. The table on this page shows the rates we could read, for grades B5, C1, C2, C3, D1 and D5. For other grades, use your payslip.
- Is the calculator exact?
- No. It is an estimate built from the PAYE bands, personal relief, NSSF, SHIF and housing levy rates published by KRA, NSSF and press reports. Your T-Pay payslip is the final word, and you can change the rates in the calculator if yours differ.
- Which deductions come off a teacher's pay?
- PAYE tax, NSSF, SHIF and the affordable housing levy are statutory. Many teachers also pay SACCO loans, union dues and insurance, which you can type in. KRA lists the housing levy, SHIF and pension contributions as amounts that reduce taxable pay.
- Why are the old and new salary figures different across sites?
- Some sites still show the 2025/26 scales, and some copy tables with typing errors. We show only the 2026/27 figures that match the circular as reported by Education News Hub and the press, and we say where we could not confirm a figure.
- What about ECDE, P1 and degree teachers?
- We could not find a separate ECDE scale on a page we could read. Primary Teacher I is grouped with Secondary Teacher III in grade C1, and graduate secondary teachers appear at grade C2. Check your grade on your payslip or in your TSC circular.
Source: The Eastleigh Voice and Kenya Revenue Authority, 2026.