Average UK Salary by Age and Percentile (ONS 2025 Data)

What is the average salary in the UK, and how does yours compare? Whether you’re negotiating a raise, considering a career change, or just curious where you fall, understanding UK salary data gives you a clearer picture of the labour market. The figures below use the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025, provisional results for April 2025. ASHE is based on a 1% sample of employees drawn from HMRC’s PAYE records, and its annual figures cover employees who had been in the same job for at least a year.

Average and Median UK Salary (April 2025)

The gap between average and median exists because high earners pull the mean upward. The median better represents what a typical worker earns — half of employee jobs pay more, and half pay less. The full-time mean is about 24% above the full-time median. Whenever you see “average salary” quoted in the media, check whether they mean the mean or the median, and whether part-time jobs are included — it makes a significant difference.

For a precise comparison, use our UK income percentile calculator.

Average Salary by Age

Pay in the UK rises through your 20s and 30s, peaks in your 40s, and is lower from your 50s onwards, as the table below shows.

Peak earnings occur between ages 40-49 on both measures. The all-jobs medians sit below the full-time ones at every age because they include part-time jobs, and the gap is widest for ages 18–21. For percentiles within each age group, see UK income percentile by age.

Income Percentiles

Percentile data gives you a much more precise view of where you sit. Rather than comparing against a single average, it tells you what percentage of jobs pay less than yours.

If you earn more than £69,381, you’re in the top 10% of UK employee jobs. The percentile figures used here stop at the 90th, so this page has no top 1% figure. See our income percentile calculator for an exact ranking.

Average Salary by Region

ONS publishes median pay for each region and country of the UK in its ASHE regional tables. On HMRC payroll data, London’s median monthly pay was £3,118 in August 2026, about 17% above the UK median of £2,657 (ONS early estimates; this is a different measure from the ASHE annual figures above). The premium comes with higher housing costs: ONS puts average private rent at £2,332 a month in London in August 2026, against £788 in the North East.

Average Salary by Industry

Pay also varies widely by industry, and ONS publishes ASHE medians by industry in its data tables. “Average” within each industry still varies enormously — a junior hotel receptionist and a hotel general manager both count as “Accommodation & Food,” and their salaries are worlds apart.

Gender Pay Gap

ONS measures the gender pay gap as the difference between men’s and women’s median hourly pay (excluding overtime), as a share of men’s.

The full-time gap is small for younger workers (0.9% for ages 22–29) and much larger for employees aged 40 and over (12.5% for ages 50–59). The all-employees gap is larger because more part-time employees are women, and part-time jobs typically pay lower hourly rates. Companies with 250+ employees are required to publish their gender pay gap data annually.

Salary After Tax

Your gross salary only tells half the story. After income tax and National Insurance contributions, your take-home pay can be 10–28% less at the salaries below. The table shows what you receive in 2026/27 outside Scotland, with no pension or student loan deductions — these are the numbers that matter for budgeting, mortgage affordability, and day-to-day living.

For detailed calculations, see our guide to UK income tax bands.

Key Takeaways

1. Median UK salary was £32,890 across all employee jobs in April 2025 (£39,039 full-time) — more representative than the £40,269 mean
2. London’s median pay is about 17% above the UK median on HMRC payroll data (August 2026), but London rents are also the highest (£2,332 a month on average in August 2026, ONS)
3. Peak earnings are in the 40-49 age bracket: £44,244 median for full-time jobs
4. Top 10% earn £69,381+ across all employee jobs (£76,903+ full-time)
5. Gender pay gap was 6.9% for full-time employees and 12.8% for all employees
6. Take-home pay on a £30,000 salary is about £25,120 after tax and NIC in 2026/27 (outside Scotland, no pension or student loan)

Sources

• Office for National Statistics. “Employee earnings in the UK: 2025” (ASHE 2025 provisional; Tables 1.7a and 6.7a). ons.gov.uk
• Office for National Statistics. “Gender pay gap in the UK: 2025.” ons.gov.uk
• Office for National Statistics. “Earnings and employment from Pay As You Earn Real Time Information, UK” (September 2026 release). ons.gov.uk
• HM Revenue & Customs. “UK Tax Information and Guidance.” gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs
• National Health Service. “Health Information and Services.” nhs.uk

Written by WealthVieu

WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.