Average salary in the UK
Half of full-time employees in the UK earn less than £40,911 a year and half earn more. ONS figures for the tax year ending 5 April 2026.
About £32,976 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median full-time salary a year, UK, +4.5% on last year
£3,409 a month About £2,748 a month after tax
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Median or mean?
The mean, which many people mean by “average”, is £52,109: 27% higher than the median, because a small number of very high salaries pull it up. ONS treats the median as the better guide to typical pay, so this site uses it throughout.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £25,288 | £2,107 |
| 20th | £28,857 | £2,405 |
| 25th (P25) | £30,600 | £2,550 |
| 30th | £32,393 | £2,699 |
| 40th | £36,398 | £3,033 |
| Median (50th) | £40,911 | £3,409 |
| 60th | £46,367 | £3,864 |
| 70th | £52,647 | £4,387 |
| 75th (P75) | £56,842 | £4,737 |
| 80th | £62,500 | £5,208 |
| 90th (P90) | £82,680 | £6,890 |
Pay by year
The median for full-time employees went from £31,224 in 2021 to £40,911 in 2026 (+31%).
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £18,254 | £22,880 | £31,224 | £43,625 | £60,726 |
| 2022 | £19,381 | £24,287 | £33,061 | £45,584 | £62,892 |
| 2023 | £20,885 | £26,050 | £35,004 | £48,129 | £66,978 |
| 2024 | £22,749 | £27,985 | £37,439 | £51,440 | £72,101 |
| 2025 | £24,024 | £29,328 | £39,157 | £54,308 | £77,608 |
| 2026 | £25,288 | £30,600 | £40,911 | £56,842 | £82,680 |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £43,934 | £57,161 | 10,502 |
| Women | £37,471 | £45,203 | 7,682 |
The median for full-time men is £43,934 and for full-time women £37,471, 15% lower. This compares all full-time jobs, not men and women in the same job. ONS's official gender pay gap uses hourly pay excluding overtime, so it gives a different figure.
Median by type of job
Major occupation groups (SOC 2020). Each links to the occupations in it.
More
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.