Salary Questions

Is £42,000 a Good Salary in the UK?

£42,000 is comfortably above the UK median, placing you in the top 32% of earners.

2026-06-22  ·  4 min read
£42,000
Gross Annual Salary
£32,300
Est. Take-Home Pay
Top 32%
UK Earner Percentile
£2,692
Monthly Take-Home

£42,000 is comfortably above the UK median. The UK median full-time salary is approximately £35,000, placing £42,000 firmly above average.

How Does £42,000 Compare?

BenchmarkSalary
UK Median Salary£35,000
UK Mean Salary£38,000
Your Salary£42,000

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See precisely what £42,000 looks like after tax, NI and pension contributions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

£42,000 is comfortably above the UK median — above the national median of £35,000.

After income tax and NI, approximately £32,300 per year or £2,692 per month.

Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024; HMRC tax rates 2025/26