UK occupation salary guides
See typical full-time pay, lower and higher ONS salary points, and an estimated monthly take-home figure for each occupation.
Your own job has its own pay range
National pay figures are useful, but they can hide what is normal inside a particular occupation. These guides keep each job group separate and show the salary points the ONS actually publishes.
The UK full-time median is £39,039. It is a useful reference, but it is not the right target for every role. A train driver, teacher, plumber and software developer work in different labour markets with different qualification routes, hours and upper pay ranges.
Each page explains who belongs in the ONS occupation group, what can move pay inside the job, how the career develops and what to check in an offer. Missing figures stay missing, and take-home amounts are clearly marked as estimates.
Salary, day rate and business income are different
The ONS figures in this cluster cover employee jobs. That distinction is especially important for electricians, plumbers, consultants and anyone comparing permanent work with self-employment.
A self-employed invoice must cover materials, tools, insurance, travel, administration, holiday, pension and time without paid work. A permanent salary usually comes with paid leave and employer benefits. Compare personal profit with salary, not gross business revenue with salary.
Typical full-time pay across this salary cluster
These figures are not interchangeable job offers. They are official occupation medians designed to show how different labour markets compare.
| Occupation | Typical full-time pay | UK context |
|---|---|---|
| Train driver | £76,327 | 96% higher than the UK full-time median |
| Teacher | £47,632 secondary / £45,939 primary | Two separate ONS occupation groups |
| Electrician | £39,647 | 2% higher than the UK full-time median |
| Plumber | £37,881 | 3% lower than the UK full-time median |
| Software developer | £56,914 | 46% higher than the UK full-time median |
| Accountant | £50,062 | 28% higher than the UK full-time median |
| Paramedic | £53,818 | 38% higher than the UK full-time median |
| Midwife | £46,990 | 20% higher than the UK full-time median |
| Solicitor | £56,977 | 46% higher than the UK full-time median |
The public ladder stays free. Your position is personalised
Every occupation page shows all available ONS salary points. It does not ask for a salary or publish a free personal rank on the page.
Use the salary percentile link to confirm the occupation and add your own salary. The PayPrecise report estimates where your pay sits between published points, then combines that position with take-home pay and True Wage after work time and costs.
How occupation salary comparisons work
Why is an occupation median different from a national salary median?▼
The occupation median only compares full-time employee jobs inside one ONS job group. The national figure combines every full-time occupation, so it is useful context but not a substitute for the occupation range.
Can these pages rank my personal salary?▼
No. The public pages show the published market points. The personalised report uses your confirmed occupation and salary to estimate a position between those points, with the evidence and confidence wording shown alongside it.
Are self-employed earnings included?▼
No. ASHE covers employee jobs. Turnover, invoices and business revenue must not be compared directly with an employee salary.