£40,000 Salary UK: What Percentile Is That in 2026?
£40,000 puts you comfortably above the UK full-time median — but whether that feels high or middling depends entirely on your age group. At 26 it's strong; at 46 it's closer to average. Here's what the data actually says.
Top 33% nationally. What about your age group?
Your national rank and your age-group rank can be worlds apart.
£40,000 is strong for many people in their 20s, but close to the middle for workers in their 30s, 40s and 50s. The national figure is useful; the age breakdown tells you whether the salary is ahead, typical or behind for your career stage.
Approximate estimates based on ONS ASHE 2025 median and percentile pay points. The full page gives a banded estimate for your salary and age group.
What £40k actually means in the UK in 2026
£40,000 sits in an interesting spot. It's just above the UK full-time median of £39,039, which makes it technically above average — but not by the margin most people assume when they're aiming for it as a number to hit. The difference between £39k and £40k is largely symbolic; the real earnings break comes a good bit further up the distribution.
Where it does stand out is compared to the full UK taxpayer picture. Using HMRC income data, £40k puts you around the 67th percentile, meaning roughly two in three comparable UK earners are below you. That's a meaningful position — but it also means a third of UK earners are ahead of you, which tends to surprise people who've been told £40k is a strong salary.
Why the take-home figure matters more than the headline
The gross-to-net gap at £40k isn't dramatic, but it's worth understanding. Standard PAYE for 2026/27 leaves roughly £32,320 in your pocket — around £2,693 a month. At this income level you're paying the basic rate of income tax throughout, so there are no threshold surprises eating into your pay. The real take-home shift happens further up, once salary pushes past £50,271 where the higher rate starts.
One thing the percentile figure can't tell you: how £40k feels to live on. That depends almost entirely on where you are and what your fixed costs look like. In parts of the North or Wales, £40k funds a comfortable lifestyle with room to save. In London it covers the essentials with considerably less left over. Age matters too — at 25, £40k is genuinely strong for your peer group; at 45, it's closer to average in many sectors.
Quick answer: £40k salary percentile
Using current HMRC income benchmarks, £40k ranks around the 67th percentile. That means this salary is higher than roughly 67 in 100 comparable taxpayer incomes and below roughly 33 in 100.
| Gross salary | £40,000 |
| Estimated rank | 67th percentile |
| Estimated top share | Top 33% |
| UK full-time median | £39,039 |
£40k after tax: take-home context
Percentile rank uses gross income before tax. For a standard employee in England, Wales or Northern Ireland with no pension or student loan adjustment, estimated 2026/27 take-home pay on £40k is about £32,320 a year, or £2,693 a month.
| Item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Income Tax | £5,486 |
| Employee National Insurance | £2,194 |
| Annual take-home | £32,320 |
| Monthly take-home | £2,693 |
| Weekly take-home | £622 |
For pension, student loan, Scotland rates and commute costs, use the PayPrecise salary calculator.
How £40k compares by age and location
A fixed salary figure answers one exact query, but the meaning shifts considerably by age and place. £40k may be an excellent salary for someone early-career, closer to typical for some London roles, and different again in Scotland after tax.
Sources and how figures are worked out
Each benchmark says who it compares with and where the data comes from. Salary figures are yearly pay before tax unless the page says otherwise.
| Source | How we use it | Link |
|---|---|---|
| HMRC income percentiles 2023/24 | National taxpayer income benchmarks for the percentile estimate. | Open source |
| ONS ASHE 2025 | UK full-time employee median and age-band earnings estimates. | Open source |
| GOV.UK Income Tax rates | 2026/27 income tax thresholds and bands for take-home pay estimates. | Income Tax source |
| GOV.UK National Insurance rates | 2026/27 employee National Insurance thresholds and rates for take-home pay estimates. | NI source |