The Teachers Service Commission maintains a comprehensive, graded salary structure based on job grade commonly called T‑Scale. As such, teacher salaries in Kenya increases steadily from entry-level Grade B5 to D5 for Chief Principals.
TSC salary scales indicate basic monthly pay ranging from Ksh 23,000 to 167,000 depending on level of service.
Teacher salaries in Kenya
A breakdown of the most recent CBA agreement, basic monthly salaries range is as follows:
| Grade | Title | Basic Salary (Ksh) |
| B5 | Primary Teacher II | 22,793 – 28,491 |
| C1 | Secondary Teacher III / Lecturer III | 28,491 – 35,614 |
| C2 | Secondary Teacher II / Lecturer II | 36,621 – 45,776 |
| C3 | Secondary Teacher I / Lecturer I | 44,412 – 56,514 |
| C4 | Senior Master IV / Deputy Head II | 52,308 – 67,220 |
| C5 | Senior Master III / Head Teacher | 62,272 – 78,667 |
| D1 | Senior Master II / Deputy Principal III | 78,625 – 95,101 |
| D2 | Deputy Principal II / Senior Master I | 92,119 – 110,551 |
| D3 | Principal / Deputy Principal I | 105,182 – 127,069 |
| D4 | Senior Principal | 118,242 – 143,581 |
| D5 | Chief Principal | 131,380 – 159,534 |
For the record, these ranges reflect incremental salary points considering that teachers receive automatic annual increments within their grade up to the maximum before receiving promotion to a higher grade.
Besides, Kenyan instructors stand to benefit from the following allowances.
TSC allowances
The Teacher Service Commission provides a variety of allowances that significantly improve overall earning of educators.
Grade, geographic posting, and responsibilities are some of the factors that determine the amount in allowances.
1. House allowance
The allowance is designed to assist with accommodation, this varies by grade and region.
For example, Grade C3 teachers receive approximately Ksh 28,000/month in Nairobi, Ksh 22,000 in major municipalities, and around Ksh 13,000 elsewhere.
Higher grades receive even larger allowances; for instance D1 teachers can earn up to Ksh 45,000 in Nairobi.
2. Commuter allowance
The allowance caters for travel to work and is grade‑dependent, C3 teachers get around Ksh 6,000/month.
3. Hardship allowance
The amount is paid to teachers stationed in marginalized or remote regions.
While C3 teachers receive Ksh 12,300, D5 teachers can receive up to Ksh 38,100 per month.
4. Leave allowance
Leave allowance encapsulates annual payout equivalent to one month’s basic salary, issued typically in January.
5. Special allowances
These are allowances that are depending on duties assigned to individual educators.
- Responsibility allowance for principals and administrators
- Disability guide/readers allowance for special schools
- Special duty allowance in arid or semi-arid zones
- Transfer allowance equivalent to one month’s salary when teachers relocate
- Professional development and other role-specific allowances
There are even more allowances that contributes to the gross salary of TSC registered teachers.
Overall, Teacher salaries in Kenya is dependent on service grade, duration of service, and scope of accrued allowances.
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