UK Salary Scale 2026: What People Really Earn (By Job, Age & Sector)

The UK salary scale looks tidy from a distance. Climb the ladder, earn more, repeat. In 2026, that picture falls apart the moment you zoom in.

Pay in Britain is fragmented—by age, region, sector, contract, and timing. Two identical job titles can sit £15,000 apart without skill being the difference. To understand what people really earn, you have to follow the data, not the narrative.

This guide updates everything with verified 2025–2026 data from the Office for National Statistics, NHS Employers, and UK government sources. If you’re planning to work in Britain—or renegotiate your salary—this is the information you didn’t know you needed.

UK salary scale in 2026: the numbers that matter

Let’s start with the anchor figures. As of April 2025 (latest official release used for 2026 planning):

• Median full-time salary: £38,100 per year
• Median weekly pay (full-time): £766.60
• Median part-time salary: ~£14,500 per year
• Annual pay growth: ~4.6% (outpacing inflation)
• Gender pay gap: ~13% (down, but persistent)

Median matters more than average. The “average” UK salary is pulled upward by very high earners in finance, tech, and executive roles. The median tells you what a typical worker actually earns.

The hidden rule: region beats experience

Here’s the contradiction most people miss: a less-experienced worker in London often earns more than a senior worker elsewhere.

• London median salary: ~£49,700
• South East: ~£41,000
• North East: ~£34,400
• Northern Ireland: fastest growth rate in 2025

This is why moving cities can outperform a promotion. Geography isn’t a detail—it’s a multiplier.

Minimum wage in 2026 (from April)

From 1 April 2026, the UK minimum wage rises again:

• 21+ (National Living Wage): £12.71/hour
• 18–20: £10.85/hour
• 16–17: £8.00/hour
• Apprentice rate: £8.00/hour

At 37.5 hours per week, the full-time minimum annual income for workers aged 21+ is now about £24,800 before tax.

UK employee salaries by profession (realistic ranges)

Below are typical annual gross salaries in 2026 planning terms. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and experience.

• Delivery driver: £22,000 – £29,000
• Customer service advisor: £21,000 – £26,000
• Retail sales assistant: £20,000 – £24,000
• Electrician: £31,000 – £38,000
• Mechanic: £27,000 – £34,000
• Business analyst: £48,000 – £65,000
• Graphic designer: £26,000 – £35,000
• Stockbroker: £42,000 – £70,000+
• Pilot: £70,000 – £110,000
• Lawyer (qualified): £50,000 – £90,000

Management salaries in the UK

Management pay widened again in 2025–2026, especially in sales, tech, and finance.

• Business manager: ~£58,000
• Construction project manager: ~£41,000
• Account manager: ~£52,000
• HR manager: ~£56,000
• Sales manager: £85,000 – £95,000
• Marketing manager: £70,000 – £95,000
• CEO (median): ~£122,000

Engineering & IT salaries (where the gap widens fastest)

Engineering rewards scarcity. The jump from junior to mid-level is often larger than an entire decade in retail.

• Graduate engineer: £30,000 – £36,000
• Experienced engineer: ~£40,500
• IT technician: ~£32,000
• Software developer: £45,000 – £75,000
• Senior ICT engineer (5+ years): £90,000 – £140,000

Doctors & healthcare salaries (NHS, 2025–26 scales)

Medical pay is nationally structured, transparent—and misunderstood.

• Foundation Year 1 doctor: £38,831
• Foundation Year 2 doctor: £44,439
• Specialty trainee: £52,656 – £73,992
• Consultant: £109,725 – £145,478
• Salaried GP: £76,038 – £114,743
• Nurse (average): ~£32,000
• Paramedic: ~£36,700

Teacher salaries in the UK (England, 2025–26)

Teaching salaries are predictable—but regional weighting changes everything.

• Starting teacher (England): £32,916
• Experienced classroom teacher: up to £51,048
• Inner London teacher: up to £62,496
• Headteacher: £58,569 – £153,488
• Teaching assistant: ~£17,000 – £21,000

UK salaries by age (what time really buys you)

• 18–21: ~£19,000 (full-time equivalent)
• 22–29: ~£26,000
• 30–39: ~£38,000
• 40–49: ~£43,000
• 50–59: ~£41,000
• 60+: ~£35,500

Peak earnings typically occur in your 40s—not at retirement, and not at entry.

Jobs most in demand in Britain right now

• Healthcare & nursing
• Software & data engineering
• Construction & skilled trades
• Logistics & transport (HGV drivers)
• Education (experienced teachers)
• Finance & compliance

Demand doesn’t guarantee high pay—but it shortens negotiation time.

The UK salary scale in 2026 isn’t about working harder. It’s about positioning yourself where the system already pays more. Once you see that, the numbers stop being random—and start being usable.