Starting salaries for teachers could rise by up to £6,000 under government plans to reform pay.

The proposal would mean that a new teacher would earn a minimum of £30,000 from 2022/23, a significant increase from the current minimum in England and Wales (excluding London), which is £23,720.

The rise is designed to make the profession amongst the most competitive in the graduate jobs market. It is also hoped that the new pay structure will help to attract the brightest, most sought after graduates, including those who would normally opt for top paying jobs in consultancy or the civil service.

The move follows rising concerns about recruitment and retention of teachers, against a backdrop of soaring student numbers. Last year a government report warned that there is a "growing sense of crisis" in teacher recruitment.

“Teachers truly are the lifeblood of a school and I have been instantly impressed by the dedication, commitment and hard work that I have seen from those at the front of our classrooms,” Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England said.

“I want the best talent to be drawn to the teaching profession and for schools to compete with the biggest employers in the labour market and recruit the brightest and the best into teaching.

“Teachers should be in no doubt that this government fully backs them in every stage of their career, starting with rewarding starting salaries, and giving them the powers they need to deal with bad behaviour and bullying and continue to drive up school standards right across the country.”

The announcement includes the government’s pledge to fully fund higher payments into the teachers’ pension scheme, with the Department for Education (DfE) saying that members would benefit from employer contributions of 23.6% on top of their salary towards their pension every year.

The increased pay and pension contributions form part of the £14bn in education spending announced by the government last week, with most of the increase directed towards core school funding.

However, many union leaders have argued that this is not enough to compensate for the succession of funding cuts schools have experienced.