Average salary by age in the UK
Median full-time pay by age group, from ONS figures for the tax year ending 5 April 2026.
Pay rises with age to a peak at 40 to 49, where the median is £46,280, 13% above the UK median of £40,911. Employees aged 60 and over have a median of £38,060.
At 18 to 21 the median is £24,578, 40% below the UK median. Pay climbs fastest in the twenties and thirties.
| Age | P10 | Median | P90 | Mean | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 21 | £15,369 | £24,578 | £34,362 | £26,595 | £13.46 |
| 22 to 29 | £23,850 | £33,678 | £54,877 | £37,980 | £17.50 |
| 30 to 39 | £26,460 | £42,593 | £79,870 | £51,145 | £22.16 |
| 40 to 49 | £26,650 | £46,280 | £94,240 | £58,785 | £23.96 |
| 50 to 59 | £26,054 | £43,860 | £92,757 | £58,130 | £22.59 |
| 60 and over | £24,652 | £38,060 | £79,916 | £50,372 | £19.40 |
Hourly pay and hours are ONS medians for the April 2026 pay period; the annual figures cover the tax year, so hourly pay times hours won't match them exactly.
Men and women by age
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 21 | £25,328 | £23,660 |
| 22 to 29 | £35,000 | £32,330 |
| 30 to 39 | £45,199 | £39,528 |
| 40 to 49 | £49,702 | £41,516 |
| 50 to 59 | £47,462 | £39,336 |
| 60 and over | £41,081 | £33,536 |
The gap between the median for full-time men and women is 7% at 18 to 21 and 18% at 60 and over. This compares all full-time jobs, not men and women in the same job.
ONS publishes pay by age band, not by single year of age. The 16 to 17 band isn't shown: ONS didn't publish it for full-time employees, and it includes people paid below adult rates. Like all the annual figures here, it only counts people who had been in the same job for more than a year, which leaves out many young people who have just started work.
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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.