Average Salary UK
The average salary in the UK is £45,836, but there's much more detail to understand about salaries beyond this headline figure. NimbleFins digs into official Office for National Statistics data to calculate average (mean) and median salaries for different regions, genders, types of work (full or part time) and more.
In addition to learning what jobs typically pay, our team also looks into disposable income figures for an entire household, to learn what people typically have at their disposal after taxes to spend and save.
- Average Salary UK
- Average Hourly Pay
- Average Household Disposable Income (after tax)
- Who Earns the Most?
- Gender Pay Gaps
Average Salary UK
Average Full-time Salary UK
The average full-time salary in the UK is £45,836 per annum. The median full-time salary in the UK is £37,430. The median can be a better representation of a 'typical' figure because it's the number at which half of people earn more and half of people earn less. The average (mean) figure is skewed to the high side because of a small number of very high earners.
| Average Full-time Salary | Median | Mean | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | £37,430 | £45,836 | |
| England | £46,739 | £38,193 | |
| England, ex-London | £42,008 | £35,917 | |
| North East | £32,960 | £38,321 | |
| North West | £35,170 | £41,105 | |
| Yorkshire & the Humber | £34,401 | £39,732 | |
| East Midlands | £33,973 | £39,271 | |
| West Midlands | £34,938 | £41,482 | |
| East | £36,949 | £44,093 | |
| London | £47,455 | £65,994 | |
| South East | £39,038 | £46,006 | |
| South West | £35,634 | £40,509 | |
| Wales | £34,303 | £38,295 | |
| Scotland | £38,315 | £43,425 | |
| N Ireland | £34,378 | £39,612 | |
At £65,994 per year, you can see that average (mean) pay in London is the highest in the UK.
Average Salary per Month
The average (mean) monthly salary is £3,820 per month in the UK for those working full time—it's £3,501 in England, excluding London, and £5,500 in London.
| Monthly Salaries | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| England, ex-London | £2,993 | £3,501 |
| London | £3,955 | £5,500 |
| UK | £3,119 | £3,820 |
Average Hourly Pay UK
Average pay per hour in the UK varies for part-time and full-time work, with full-time workers earning close to 25% more per hour than part-time workers.
Average Pay per Hour UK
Of those working part-time, the average number of hours worked is 16.7 hours per week, according to the Labor Force Survey (LFS). Given that the average pay for part-time workers is £16,830 per year according to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), the average pay per hour for part-time work is around £19.38 per hour. The median pay for part-time work is £16.01 per hour.
Of those working full-time, the average number of hours worked is 36.5 hours per week, according to the Labor Force Survey (LFS). Given that the average pay for full-time workers is £45,836 per year according to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), the average pay per hour for part-time work is around £24.15 per hour. The median pay for full-time work is £19.72 per hour.
| Hourly Pay UK | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Part-time | £19.38 per hour | £16.01 per hour |
| Full-time | £24.15 per hour | £19.72 per hour |
Average Pay Rise UK
According to NimbleFins analysis of labour market data from the ONS, the average pay rise in 2024 was 2.2%. This figure reflects regular pay for the whole economy, seasonally adjusted.
Average Household Income UK
'Household Disposable Income' refers to the sum total income received by all working members of a household, after taxes—essentially, it's all of the money and benefits a household has to spend and/or save each year.
The average (mean) household disposable income in the UK is £40,916—but the median household income is lower, at £34,462. The median reflects the income level where half of household bring in more (than £34,462), and half of households bring in less. The average (mean) is higher than the median because the mean is skewed upwards by a small number of people earning exceptionally high household incomes.
| Household Disposable Income UK | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| All people | £40,916 | £34,462 |
| Non-retired | £42,758 | £35,968 |
| Retired | £31,862 | £28,088 |
Historical Household Disposable Income
In the past 10 years, the average (mean) household disposable income for all people has risen 8% from £37,842 to £40,916. In terms of median figures, household disposable incomes have risen 14% from £30,316 to £34,462 in the past 10 years.
Household Income, by age
Surprisingly, the households earning the most are the 25 to 34 age bracket—with median disposable income of £39,726. But we suspect there's a logical reason for this—young professionals often flat share, so you could have a household bringing in 2, 3, 4 or more full-time salaries in that late 20s/early 30s age range.
Households where the main reference person is 45 to 54 year old are the second highest earning. This makes sense to us—you're more likely to have a 'household' composed of families (not mates sharing a flat) and this is prime earning age for bringing in more income.
| Household Disposable Income by Age Bracket (median) | |
|---|---|
| 0 to 17 | £29,712 |
| 18 to 24 | £34,310 |
| 25 to 34 | £39,726 |
| 35 to 44 | £36,876 |
| 45 to 54 | £39,243 |
| 55 to 64 | £36,880 |
| 65 to 74 | £33,330 |
| 75 to 84 | £28,670 |
| 85+ | £27,682 |
Average Household Income, equivalised for 2 adults
What's a typical mean income for 2 adults? Below, we've broken out the data for:
- Earned income: wages, salaries, private pensions, investment income, etc.
- Gross income: includes state pensions, direct benefits, etc.
- Disposable income: after tax income a household has access to for living expenses or to save—and we show the data for each decile
There are ten deciles, with each decile representing 10% of the population. The bottom (1st) decile reflects income for the 10% of households earning the lowest income; the top (10th) decile reflects income for the 10% of households earning the highest income.
For example, the lowest 10% of earners bring in average income of just £14,098 (including pay and benefits), yielding disposable income of £11,202.
The highest 10% of earners bring in average income of £165,854 all in, which equates to £110,702 of after-tax disposable income for spending and saving.
| Equivalised for a 2-adult, no-children household | Original income (wages, salaries, private pensions, investment income, etc.) | Gross income (includes state pensions and direct benefits) | Disposable income (after taxes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom | £8,533 | £14,098 | £11,202 |
| 2nd | £15,990 | £23,212 | £19,957 |
| 3rd | £23,675 | £29,820 | £25,088 |
| 4th | £29,789 | £35,280 | £29,361 |
| 5th | £37,573 | £41,678 | £33,724 |
| 6th | £45,262 | £48,321 | £38,489 |
| 7th | £53,752 | £56,180 | £44,303 |
| 8th | £65,254 | £67,485 | £51,953 |
| 9th | £81,506 | £83,416 | £62,780 |
| Top | £164,018 | £165,854 | £110,702 |
| All individuals | £52,535 | £56,534 | £42,756 |
Income for Retired Households
Retired households have around 22% less disposable income than non-retired households. As you can see below, the typical (median) retired household has £28,088 to spend and/or save each year, which is £7,880 less than the typical non-retired household, which has £35,968 of disposable income.
Who Earns the Most?
Male Londoners aged 50 - 59 earn the most money, with an average full-time pay of £88,253 per year. What's the highest paid job? Male Londoners who are corporate managers and directors earn £148,365 per year on average.
For comparison, for women, the highest earners are Londoners in the 40 - 49 year age bracket, who earn an average of £47,348 per year. Female Londoners who are corporate managers and directors earn £95,491 per year on average.
Jobs with the Highest Salaries UK
Across the UK, it's corporate managers and directors who earn the most, with average full-time pay of £81,646 per year.
Science, research, engineering and technology professionals earn an average of £56,334 for full-time employment per year.
Business, media and public service professionals earn an average of £55,209 per year.
Health professionals earn an average of £49,551 per year.
Culture, media and sports occupations earn an average of £49,226 per year.
Teaching and other educational professionals earn an average of £46,482 per year.
Average Pay by Gender UK
Average pay in the UK varies by gender. Men employed full time earn an average of £50,157 per year, which is 26% more than women, who earn an average of £39,944 per year for full-time work.
Women working part-time earn more each year than men, presumably because they put in more part-time hours than men.
| Average Pay by Gender UK | Median pay | Mean pay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time | Male | £40,035 | £50,157 |
| Female | £34,000 | £39,944 | |
| Part time | Male | £13,200 | £17,893 |
| Female | £14,103 | £16,466 | |
Regional Pay Differences
Average Salary in London
For those in full-time employment, the average (mean) salary in London is £65,994 per year. This 'average' number is skewed upwards by a small number of exceptionally high earners.
The typical salary in London is perhaps better reflected by the median London salary of £47,455. This figure reflects the salary at which half of Londoners earn more and half of Londoners earn less.
Average Salary in England
For those in full-time employment, NimbleFins estimates that the average (mean) salary in England is £46,739 per year. We calculated this figure using a weighted average (by number of full-time jobs per region) of mean salaries across the regions of England. Note, the 'mean' number is skewed upwards by a small number of exceptionally high earners, so it can also be useful to examine the median figure.
NimbleFins calculates that the typical (median) salary in England is £38,193. This figure reflects the salary at which half of those in England earn more and half earn less.
Excluding London, the average (mean) salary in England is £42,008 and the median salary is £35,917.
Average Salary in Scotland
For those in full-time employment, the average (mean) salary in Scotland is £43,425 per year. This 'average' number is skewed upwards by a small number of exceptionally high earners.
The typical salary in Scotland is perhaps better reflected by the median Scottish salary of £38,315. This figure reflects the salary at which half of Scots earn more and half of Scots earn less.