Money & Budgeting

UK Average Salary by Job 2026 — Salary Data by Profession

Average UK salaries by job and profession. Compare salaries across industries, experience levels, and regions to benchmark your earnings.

By PocketWise · · 5 min read

What does your job pay compared to others? Here’s comprehensive salary data across UK professions to help you benchmark your earnings.

UK Salary Overview

Measure Amount
Median salary (full-time) £35,000
Mean salary (full-time) £42,000
25th percentile £26,500
75th percentile £48,000
90th percentile £70,000

Based on ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

Salaries by Industry Sector

Highest Paying Sectors

Sector Median Salary Top Quartile
Finance & Insurance £48,000 £75,000+
Mining, Energy & Utilities £45,000 £65,000+
Information & Technology £45,000 £70,000+
Professional & Scientific £42,000 £60,000+
Real Estate £38,000 £55,000+

Mid-Range Sectors

Sector Median Salary Top Quartile
Public Administration £35,000 £48,000+
Construction £35,000 £50,000+
Manufacturing £34,000 £48,000+
Education £34,000 £45,000+
Transport & Logistics £33,000 £45,000+

Lower Paying Sectors

Sector Median Salary Top Quartile
Health & Social Care £32,000 £42,000+
Arts & Entertainment £30,000 £42,000+
Agriculture £28,000 £38,000+
Retail £24,000 £32,000+
Hospitality £22,000 £28,000+

Salaries by Profession

Technology & IT

Role Entry Level Mid-Career Senior/Lead
Software Developer £28,000-35,000 £45,000-65,000 £70,000-100,000+
DevOps Engineer £35,000-45,000 £55,000-75,000 £80,000-120,000
Data Scientist £35,000-45,000 £55,000-80,000 £85,000-130,000
Data Analyst £25,000-32,000 £40,000-55,000 £60,000-80,000
Cyber Security £30,000-40,000 £50,000-75,000 £80,000-120,000
IT Support £22,000-28,000 £32,000-42,000 £45,000-60,000
UX Designer £28,000-38,000 £45,000-65,000 £70,000-95,000
Product Manager £35,000-50,000 £60,000-85,000 £90,000-140,000

Finance & Accounting

Role Entry Level Mid-Career Senior/Director
Accountant £24,000-32,000 £40,000-60,000 £70,000-120,000
Financial Analyst £28,000-38,000 £50,000-70,000 £80,000-120,000
Investment Banker £50,000-70,000 £100,000-200,000 £200,000-500,000+
Actuary £35,000-45,000 £60,000-90,000 £100,000-200,000
Financial Adviser £25,000-35,000 £45,000-75,000 £80,000-150,000+
Mortgage Adviser £25,000-35,000 £40,000-60,000 £70,000-100,000+
Credit Analyst £28,000-38,000 £45,000-65,000 £70,000-100,000
Payroll Manager £28,000-35,000 £40,000-55,000 £55,000-75,000

Healthcare

Role Entry Level Mid-Career Senior/Consultant
Doctor (Foundation) £32,000+ N/A N/A
Doctor (Registrar) £43,000-63,000 N/A N/A
Doctor (Consultant) £93,000-126,000 N/A £126,000+
GP £70,000-100,000 £100,000+ £100,000-150,000+
Dentist £40,000-55,000 £60,000-90,000 £100,000-200,000+
Pharmacist £35,000-42,000 £45,000-55,000 £55,000-80,000
Nurse (Band 5) £28,500-34,500 N/A N/A
Nurse (Band 6-7) £35,000-48,000 N/A N/A
Physiotherapist £28,500-42,000 £42,000-52,000 £52,000-68,000
Paramedic £28,500-42,000 £42,000-52,000 £52,000+

NHS roles follow Agenda for Change pay bands

Role Entry Level Mid-Career Partner/Senior
Solicitor (Trainee) £25,000-50,000 N/A N/A
Solicitor (NQ) £40,000-100,000+ N/A N/A
Solicitor (3-5 PQE) £55,000-150,000 N/A N/A
Solicitor (Partner) N/A N/A £150,000-1,000,000+
Barrister Varies widely £50,000-150,000 £150,000-500,000+
Legal Secretary £22,000-28,000 £28,000-38,000 £38,000-50,000
Paralegal £22,000-28,000 £30,000-40,000 £40,000-55,000

City law firms pay significantly more than regional/high street firms

Engineering

Role Entry Level Mid-Career Senior/Principal
Mechanical Engineer £26,000-32,000 £40,000-55,000 £60,000-90,000
Electrical Engineer £26,000-32,000 £42,000-58,000 £65,000-95,000
Civil Engineer £25,000-30,000 £38,000-52,000 £55,000-85,000
Chemical Engineer £28,000-35,000 £45,000-65,000 £70,000-100,000
Structural Engineer £25,000-32,000 £40,000-55,000 £60,000-90,000
Project Engineer £28,000-35,000 £45,000-60,000 £65,000-90,000

Marketing & Creative

Role Entry Level Mid-Career Head/Director
Marketing Executive £22,000-28,000 £35,000-50,000 £60,000-100,000
Digital Marketing £24,000-30,000 £38,000-55,000 £65,000-100,000
Content Writer £22,000-28,000 £32,000-45,000 £50,000-70,000
SEO Specialist £24,000-32,000 £40,000-55,000 £60,000-85,000
Graphic Designer £20,000-26,000 £32,000-45,000 £50,000-70,000
PR Manager £25,000-32,000 £40,000-60,000 £70,000-100,000
Brand Manager £30,000-40,000 £50,000-70,000 £80,000-120,000

Human Resources

Role Entry Level Mid-Career Director
HR Administrator £22,000-26,000 £28,000-35,000 N/A
HR Advisor £28,000-35,000 £38,000-48,000 N/A
HR Business Partner £45,000-55,000 £55,000-75,000 N/A
HR Manager £40,000-55,000 £55,000-75,000 N/A
HR Director N/A N/A £90,000-180,000
Recruiter £24,000-30,000 £35,000-55,000 £60,000-100,000+

Education

Role Starting Mid-Career Leadership
Teacher (MPS) £30,000-41,000 N/A N/A
Teacher (UPS) £43,000-46,500 N/A N/A
Head of Department £47,000-55,000 N/A N/A
Deputy Head £55,000-80,000 N/A N/A
Headteacher £75,000-140,000+ N/A N/A
University Lecturer £42,000-55,000 £55,000-70,000 £70,000-100,000+
Teaching Assistant £18,000-23,000 £23,000-28,000 £28,000-32,000

Teacher salaries vary by region (London weighting applies)

Trades & Construction

Role Entry/Apprentice Qualified Experienced
Electrician £18,000-22,000 £32,000-42,000 £45,000-60,000+
Plumber £18,000-22,000 £30,000-42,000 £45,000-55,000+
Carpenter £18,000-22,000 £28,000-38,000 £40,000-50,000+
Bricklayer £18,000-22,000 £30,000-40,000 £42,000-55,000+
Gas Engineer £20,000-25,000 £35,000-45,000 £48,000-60,000+
Site Manager £35,000-45,000 £50,000-65,000 £70,000-90,000
Quantity Surveyor £25,000-32,000 £45,000-60,000 £65,000-90,000

Self-employed tradespeople can earn significantly more

Public Sector & Emergency Services

Role Starting Experienced Senior
Police Constable £28,500 £32,000-43,000 N/A
Police Sergeant £46,000-52,000 N/A N/A
Police Inspector £56,000-62,000 N/A N/A
Firefighter £27,000-35,000 £35,000-40,000 £45,000+
Civil Servant (EO) £28,000-35,000 N/A N/A
Civil Servant (HEO) £33,000-42,000 N/A N/A
Civil Servant (G7) £55,000-68,000 N/A N/A
Civil Servant (G6) £70,000-85,000 N/A N/A

Transport

Role Entry Experienced Senior
Airline Pilot £40,000-55,000 £80,000-130,000 £150,000-200,000
Train Driver £45,000-55,000 £55,000-65,000 £65,000+
Bus Driver £25,000-32,000 £32,000-40,000 N/A
HGV Driver £28,000-38,000 £38,000-50,000 £50,000-60,000
Delivery Driver £22,000-28,000 £28,000-35,000 N/A

Regional Salary Differences

London Premium

Role National Average London Premium
Software Developer £50,000 £65,000 +30%
Accountant £42,000 £52,000 +24%
Marketing Manager £45,000 £55,000 +22%
Teacher £35,000 £40,000 +14%
Nurse £32,000 £36,000 +13%

Regional Variations

Region vs National Average
London +20-30%
South East +5-10%
East of England +0-5%
Scotland ±0%
South West -5%
West Midlands -5%
East Midlands -7%
North West -5-7%
Yorkshire -7-10%
Wales -10%
North East -10%
Northern Ireland -10%

Salary by Experience Level

Typical Progression

Level Years Experience Salary Range
Graduate/Entry 0-2 years £22,000-32,000
Junior 2-4 years £28,000-42,000
Mid-Level 4-8 years £40,000-60,000
Senior 8-15 years £55,000-85,000
Lead/Principal 15+ years £75,000-120,000
Director 15+ years £100,000-200,000+

Varies significantly by industry and profession

Graduate Starting Salaries

By Degree Subject

Subject Median Starting Salary
Medicine & Dentistry £35,000+
Economics £32,000
Engineering £30,000
Computer Science £30,000
Law £28,000
Business & Finance £27,000
Architecture £26,000
Science £25,000
Education £25,000
Arts & Humanities £23,000
Creative Arts £22,000

By University Type

University Type Starting Salary Premium
Oxbridge +15-25%
Russell Group +10-15%
Top 20 +5-10%
Other universities Baseline

How to Use This Data

Salary Negotiation

Step Action
1 Find your role in tables above
2 Adjust for region and experience
3 Check income percentile
4 Use data in negotiations

Are You Underpaid?

Sign What It Suggests
Below range for your experience Potentially underpaid
No raise in 2+ years Fallen behind inflation
New hires paid more Market has moved
Below 50th percentile for role Room to negotiate

Taking Action

Situation Next Step
Significantly underpaid Negotiate a raise
At market rate Consider promotion path
Above market rate Enjoy and build skills
Unsure Research more specific data

Salary Data Sources

Source What It Covers
ONS ASHE Official national statistics
Glassdoor Crowdsourced by company
Indeed Job posting data
LinkedIn Profile and job data
Reed/Totaljobs Recruitment data
Professional bodies Industry-specific

Sources

  1. MoneyHelper — Everyday money