Average Salary UK (2026/27)

Average salary UK 2026/27: official benchmark and pay context

This page is the broad benchmark view. If you want the clearest official starting point, ONS says median gross annual earnings for full-time employees were £39,039 in April 2025 for employees who had been in the same job for at least a year. The matching weekly figure was £766.60.

That benchmark is useful because it gives you a quick national reference point, but it is still gross pay before tax, National Insurance and other deductions. It also reflects full-time employees only, so it is best used as a first comparison rather than a full answer on its own.

What number should most people use?

For a broad UK benchmark, the full-time ONS figure is usually the most practical place to start. It is widely cited, easy to compare against your own salary, and more useful than a vague headline about “average pay” with no explanation of what is included.

The mean full-time salary is around £48,500, but that figure is pulled upward by a relatively small number of very high earners at the top. The median is usually the better working benchmark for most people because it shows the midpoint, not the pulled-up average. If you want the full statistical explanation, see the median salary UK guide.

How to use the benchmark properly

The most practical sequence is simple: start with the national benchmark, then compare it with your own pay, your region and your career stage. A salary that looks strong against the UK midpoint can still feel stretched once rent, commuting, childcare or pension deductions are factored in.

That is why the calculator and related benchmark pages matter. The headline number tells you where the middle of the market sits; your own after-tax result tells you how that actually feels in real life.

How average salary varies by UK region

Regional differences are substantial, even when the national benchmark stays the same. ONS says median weekly full-time earnings increased in every UK region and country in April 2025, with Northern Ireland recording the fastest annual growth at 7.4%, while the South East and Wales saw slower growth of 2.9% and 4.2% respectively. In other words, pay conditions did not move at the same speed everywhere.

The practical point is that a salary near the UK benchmark can feel very different depending on where you live. Treat the national figure as your first check, then compare it with local salaries and living costs before deciding whether a role is genuinely competitive.

Full-time vs part-time

The £39,039 headline covers full-time employees only. ONS also reports a median weekly figure for part-time employees of £280.00 in April 2025, and says part-time jobs accounted for 28.0% of employee jobs in that year. Those lower totals mainly reflect fewer hours rather than a direct like-for-like pay comparison.

If you work part-time, use your own salary and hours as the real benchmark. The full-time figure is still useful context, but it should not be treated as a direct personal target.

What counts as a good salary in the UK?

A “good salary” is really a comparison question. Earning above the current full-time benchmark of £39,039 means you are above the midpoint for comparable full-time employees, which is a useful starting point. But whether that feels strong depends on your region, housing costs, household setup and what happens after tax.

For a fuller view, combine three comparisons: your position against the national benchmark, your position against your age or percentile group, and your actual take-home result. That is where the related pages become much more useful than the headline figure on its own.

What these UK salary figures measure

Both figures are gross pay before tax and deductions — neither is take-home pay. The annual figure (£39,039) applies to full-time employees who had been in the same job for at least a year, so it excludes newer starters and can sit slightly above a broader full-time snapshot. ONS also publishes a median hourly figure of £19.67 excluding overtime, which is useful for comparing salaried and hourly-paid roles on the same basis.

Why different UK salary numbers vary

Different sources measure different things. ASHE, which underpins this page, covers employee jobs only and excludes the self-employed. Other datasets focus on taxpayers, households or benefit units instead. Weekly figures, annual figures, medians and means can all be valid — they just answer different questions.

That is why this page is designed as the benchmark hub: start here for the headline figure, then move to the more specific page that matches the question you actually want to answer.

Best next comparisons after the benchmark

Once you have the national benchmark, the next step depends on what you are trying to learn. Use Salary Calculator for take-home pay, average salary UK by age for career-stage context, average salary London or regional pages for location context, and the top 10%, top 5% and top 1% salary guides if you want to know where higher incomes begin.