Train driver: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Train and tram drivers (SOC 8231)
About £53,695 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, -2.6% on last year
£6,198 a month About £4,475 a month after tax 20 thousand full-time jobs
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.
Pay by year
The median went from £59,181 in 2021 to £74,376 in 2026 (+26%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £31,792 | £51,242 | £59,181 | £65,563 | x |
| 2022 | £37,459 | £48,896 | £58,867 | £69,411 | x |
| 2023 | £39,167 | £53,131 | £64,345 | £70,840 | x |
| 2024 | £39,708 | £56,814 | £63,970 | £68,337 | x |
| 2025 | £49,259 | £66,676 | £76,349 | £83,898 | x |
| 2026 | £52,135 | £67,374 | £74,376 | £82,880 | x |
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.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £74,376 a year and half earn more. That is 82% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £67,374 and £82,880; one in ten earns less than £52,135.
Ranked by median, it is number 10 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £4,475 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £4,305 in Scotland.
Men and women in this occupation have about the same median pay (£74,423 and £74,271).
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £52,135 | £4,345 |
| 20th | £65,672 | £5,473 |
| 25th (P25) | £67,374 | £5,615 |
| 30th | £68,591 | £5,716 |
| 40th | £73,467 | £6,122 |
| Median (50th) | £74,376 | £6,198 |
| 60th | £76,703 | £6,392 |
| 70th | £80,259 | £6,688 |
| 75th (P75) | £82,880 | £6,907 |
| 80th | £85,934 | £7,161 |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £74,423 | £75,064 | 18 |
| Women | £74,271 | £72,022 | x |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £53,695 | £4,475 |
| Scotland | £51,658 | £4,305 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £74,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 15 job titles to SOC 8231 Train and tram drivers. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Diesel driver
- Driver
- Engine driver
- Engineman
- Loco driver
- Locomotive driver
- Locomotive engine driver
- Rail car driver
- Railway engine driver
- Shunter driver
- Shunting engine driver
- Shuttle car driver
- Train driver
- Train operator
- Tram driver
Similar occupations
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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.