Average salary UK by age: official pay table
Official ONS data shows pay usually rises through early and mid-career, then eases back later on. The annual table below uses a custom ONS age-group cut based on ASHE 2024 full-time employee pay data, published in October 2024, with a newer PAYE monthly snapshot added underneath for recency context. ONS ASHE 2025 was published in October 2025 and includes updated annual earnings figures, but this specific custom age regrouping has not yet been refreshed to that newer cut.
| Age group | Median annual gross pay |
|---|---|
| 19 or under | £18,756 |
| 20–29 | £30,525 |
| 30–39 | £38,961 |
| 40–49 | £42,154 |
| 50–59 | £39,699 |
| 60–69 | £35,136 |
| 70 or over | £32,178 |
| Overall UK median (full-time) | £37,430 |
Highest in this table: ages 40–49 at £42,154.
The overall median here (£37,430) reflects the latest custom age-group cut based on 2024 annual data. The newer 2025 full-time median (£39,039) is used on the main average salary and median salary pages.
Why the annual table is not labelled 2025: ONS releases the main ASHE earnings tables annually, and this custom age regrouping currently comes from the latest published ONS cut based on 2024 annual pay data.
What it covers: annual gross pay for full-time employee jobs before tax and deductions. It does not include most self-employed income.
Full-time employees only: these figures cover full-time employee jobs only. Part-time workers are excluded because their annual earnings reflect reduced hours rather than lower pay rates, which would distort the age comparison. If you work part-time, use the calculator to get a take-home figure based on your actual salary rather than comparing directly with the table.
Non-standard age bands: this table uses a custom ONS age grouping such as 19 or under and 20–29, rather than the standard ASHE Table 6 bands such as 16–17, 18–21 and 22–29. The underlying ONS data family is the same, but the grouping is different.
Why does pay peak in the 40s?
The 40–49 peak is consistent with the broad pattern seen in ONS earnings data and reflects several compounding factors. By their early 40s, many full-time employees have accumulated substantial experience, sector-specific expertise and, in many cases, the seniority that attracts higher pay.
From the mid-50s onward, annual earnings can start to ease back because some workers move into lower-intensity roles or reduce hours ahead of retirement. That affects annual pay even when hourly rates remain steady or continue to rise. These figures are also cross-sectional snapshots of different people at different ages, not a tracker of the same individuals over time.
Gender pay gap by age
The figures above combine male and female full-time earnings. ONS data shows the gender pay gap is not uniform across age groups and generally widens from the 30s onward. The revised ONS figure for the full-time employee gender pay gap in April 2024 was 7.1%. If you want a more precise comparison, ONS ASHE Table 6 provides male and female splits by age group.
Latest monthly pay snapshot
ONS PAYE real-time data is newer, but it measures something different. In January 2026, median monthly pay was highest for ages 35–49 at £3,011. PAYE data includes part-time workers and a broader employee population than ASHE, so those figures are typically lower than the annual full-time table above. That difference is expected, not a discrepancy.
How to use it
Use age-based pay as a benchmark, not a verdict. The figures show where a salary sits relative to the typical full-time worker in the same age band, which is useful for evaluating a job offer, preparing for a salary review, or checking whether your pay has kept pace with your career stage. They do not account for region, sector, or part-time versus full-time working patterns, so the calculator below gives a more personalised view once you enter your own salary.
Sources: ONS age-group annual pay cut, ONS ASHE Table 6, ONS ASHE 2024 bulletin, ONS gender pay gap bulletin, ONS PAYE real-time pay bulletin.
| Primary source | How PayPrecise uses it | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax rates and allowances (2026 to 2027) | Used for Personal Allowance and main UK tax bands in calculator/editorial explanations. | View source |
| National Insurance rates and category letters | Used for NI examples and take-home calculations. | View source |
| ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 | Primary benchmark source for UK earnings, pay percentiles and regional comparisons cited across salary pages. | View source |
| Nomis official labour market profiles | Useful cross-check for regional and local earnings context where relevant. | View source |
Calculator outputs remain illustrative because tax codes, salary sacrifice, pension settings, benefits, commuting patterns and local costs vary by person.