The average UK salary gets talked about constantly — but the single national figure you see in headlines is almost always misleading. It bundles together a 22-year-old in Burnley and a 45-year-old investment banker in Canary Wharf into one number. That number tells you very little about whether you are being paid fairly.
So let's look at what the data actually shows — broken down by age, region, and what it means in practice.
The UK median salary: the headline number
According to the latest ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) — the most comprehensive and reliable salary dataset in the UK, based on millions of payroll records — the median full-time salary in the UK is approximately £39,900 per year.
Note that this is the median, not the mean. The median is the midpoint — half of all full-time workers earn more than this, and half earn less. It is a far more useful measure than the mean (average), which gets distorted by a small number of extremely high earners.
Key figure: The median full-time UK salary is approximately £39,900/year. If you earn more than this, you are in the top half of UK earners. If you earn less, you are in the bottom half — though this varies enormously by age and where you live.
Average UK salary by age group
Salary increases with age and experience — up to a point. Earnings typically peak in the 40s and then plateau or decline slightly as workers move toward retirement, often shifting to part-time hours.
| Age group | Approximate median full-time salary |
|---|---|
| 18–21 | £20,000 – £26,000 |
| 22–29 | £28,000 – £40,000 |
| 30–39 | £36,000 – £55,000 |
| 40–49 | £38,000 – £61,000 |
| 50–59 | £36,000 – £57,000 |
| 60+ | £33,000 – £50,000 |
The ranges above reflect regional variation — a 35-year-old in London will earn considerably more than a 35-year-old in the North East, even in comparable roles. Which brings us to the regional picture.
Average UK salary by region
Regional salary variation in the UK is significant. London consistently sits well above the national median, while Northern England, Wales, and Northern Ireland sit below it.
| Region | Approximate median full-time salary |
|---|---|
| London | £49,000 – £61,000 |
| South East | £42,000 – £51,000 |
| East of England | £39,000 – £47,000 |
| Scotland | £37,000 – £44,000 |
| South West | £35,000 – £42,000 |
| West Midlands | £35,000 – £42,000 |
| East Midlands | £34,000 – £41,000 |
| North West | £35,000 – £42,000 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £33,000 – £39,000 |
| Wales | £32,000 – £37,000 |
| North East | £31,000 – £38,000 |
| Northern Ireland | £31,000 – £37,000 |
This is why comparing yourself to a single national median is so unhelpful. Earning £38,000 in London puts you well below the regional median. The same salary in the North East puts you comfortably above it.
Mean vs median — which should you use?
You will often see the mean (average) salary quoted in news articles. The Office for National Statistics prefers the median for a good reason: the UK has a small number of extremely high earners who pull the mean salary significantly upward. The mean full-time salary is typically several thousand pounds higher than the median — but that higher number does not reflect what most people actually earn.
For the purposes of understanding whether you are paid fairly, always use the median.
What counts as a good salary in the UK?
There is no single answer — it depends entirely on your age, region, and industry. A useful rule of thumb is to compare yourself to the top quartile (top 25%) of earners in your age group and region. If you are in the top 25% of your peer group, you are generally considered to be earning a strong salary.
By that measure, earning above roughly £55,000 puts you in the top 25% of UK full-time earners overall — but in London that threshold is considerably higher, while in the North East it is lower.
How to find out if you are being paid fairly
The most reliable way is to compare your salary to the ONS median for your specific age group and UK region — not the national average. Our free salary checker does exactly this, using the same ASHE data that economists and policymakers use.
Find out if you're being paid fairly
Enter your salary, age group and region to get an instant comparison against the ONS median for your specific group.
Check my salary →What to do if you are underpaid
If the data shows you are earning below the median for your age group and region, you have a few options. The most straightforward is to negotiate a raise with your current employer — and this tool gives you the data to make that case objectively. Many managers respond well to evidence-based requests: "the ONS data shows the median for my age group in this region is X, and I would like to discuss bringing my salary in line with that."
If a raise is not on the table in the short term, the other options are to look for a new role at market rate, or to upskill in an area where salaries are higher. Both are entirely valid responses to discovering you are underpaid.
The worst response is to do nothing. If the data shows you are 15% below median, that is potentially thousands of pounds per year — year after year — that you are leaving on the table.