The average UK salary is a key figure if you’re thinking about moving there for work. Overall, the average full-time employee earns £36,611 per year, whilst the average part-time salary is £12,495. However, more detailed breakdowns of UK salaries are necessary for understanding what you could earn.

This report outlines everything you need to know about potential earnings in the UK, including details about the UK minimum and living wages, average salaries by various demographics, the fastest growing industries, and even tips on negotiating salaries.

The UK minimum wage and living wage

A great place to start when learning about salaries in the UK is to understand that all workers must legally be paid above a certain threshold for every hour worked.

The National Minimum Wage is the minimum pay per hour for those aged between 16 and 24. Decided by an independent committee known as the Low Pay Commission (LPC), the UK minimum wage has different tiers for workers in different age brackets and employment types: apprentices can expect to earn at least £3.90 per hour; under 18s must be paid at least £4.35 per hour; those aged 18-20 earn £6.15 per hour or over, and 21-24s have a minimum wage of £7.70 per hour.

By contrast, the National Living Wage is the minimum hourly salary for workers who are aged 25 and over. As of April 2019, the living wage for the UK was set at £8.21. The LPC sets a new National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage in April every year.

Average salary by age group

Similar to the minimum and living wages the average UK salary varies considerably by age group. The most important factor influencing the differences in salary by age in the UK is the number of years of experience. Across a range of industries in the UK, many jobs are listed with a minimum requirement in terms of years worked in a similar role. Higher paid positions often dictate that applicants have more years worth of related experience.

Many salaries also vary between employees in the same role depending on the amount of relevant experience they have gained. As a result, the average UK salary tends to increase with age. That said, early retirees have the effect of reducing the average salary for workers in the older age brackets. The lower average salaries for age brackets in the 20s are offset by the fact that wages tend to increase fairly rapidly during these years of a worker’s life in the UK.

According to the most recent government statistics from 2016-2017, the average salary in the UK increases with age up to the 45-49 bracket at £42,400 per year. After this point, average UK salaries decrease consistently down to £23,900 per year in the 75 and over age group. The lowest-paid group is under 20s with an average salary of £16,500 per year, whilst the highest-paid group is the 45-49 bracket who earn a yearly average of £42,400. The full information regarding average UK salaries by age group for 2016-2017 is outlined in the graph below.

Average salary by level of education

The level of education of UK workers also has a significant effect on their salaries. Many jobs will only accept applicants who have a certain level of qualification – it is common, for example, for UK employers to advertise that they will only accept graduate applications. Some employers may require that applicants have certain GCSE or A level qualifications (or overseas equivalents), particularly in English and Maths. For individual jobs where this is not the case, salaries can vary between workers in the same job based on their level of education.

In general, the average UK salary increases with education level: UK workers with degrees earn an average of £694 per week, whilst those who only have GCSEs are paid £381 per week on average. The full spectrum of average salary differences by qualification for 2016-2017 is listed in the table below.

Average salary by industry

As in any country, different career paths lead to different average salaries in the UK. The hierarchy of average salaries across industries is not the same as in other countries, however. It is useful to know the average wages for a range of popular jobs in the UK.

Education:

• Support workers and teaching assistant roles – £16,700
• School teachers – £39,388
• Teachers in higher education – £49,602

Information Technology:

• IT technicians – £30,350
• Specialist managers in IT – £46,465
• Programme and project managers in IT – £48,262
• Business analysts and designers in IT – £48,703
• Directors in IT and telecommunications – £72,109

Web Design:

• Graphic designers – £27,515
• Web designers and developers – £32,878

Marketing and PR:

• Entry-level marketing positions – £17,272
• Marketing administrators – £22,149
• Content writing roles – £33,887
• Marketing associates – £34,180
• PR professionals – £37,799
• Directors in marketing – £93,967

Human Resources:

• Administrators in HR – £20,571
• HR officer roles – £29,955
• Office manager positions – £31,427
• Managers in HR – £48,836

Operations:

• Analysts in operations – £28,498
• Directors in operations – £60,617

Sales:

• Sales executive positions – £21,000
• Directors in sales – £85,022

Customer service professions:

• Bar staff – £15,072
• Waiters – £15,454
• Hairdressers – £15,610
• Receptionists – £17,471

Retail:

• Sales assistant roles in retail – £18,579
• Manager roles in retail – £24,016

Electricians:

• Domestic electricians and fitters – £32,315
• Electrical engineers – £48,892

Law:

• Legal secretaries – £21,206
• Paralegals – £23,000
• Legal associates – £29,308
• Barristers – £51,423
• Solicitors – £53,100

Medicine:

• Health care assistants – £14,969
• Ambulance workers – £23,300
• Nurses – £32,451
• Radiographers – £34,592
• Midwives – £35,348
• Paramedics – £37,880
• Pharmacists – £41,002
• Doctors – £41,494

Dentistry:

• Dental nurses – £18,755
• Technicians in dentistry – £26,180
• Dentists – £50,374

Veterinary:

• Veterinary nurse roles – £19,279
• Veterinary technician positions – £21,516
• Veterinarians – £39,190

Sources:

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/worklife/careers/a33179/average-job-salaries-uk/

https://www.findcourses.co.uk/inspiration/articles/average-salary-uk-2018-14105

The fastest growing industries in the UK

Whilst an understanding of the current average UK salaries for various jobs is a great start, it’s important to be mindful of possible future developments in industries in the UK. Certain industries are on track to grow rapidly in the coming years – this means that earnings for roles in these industries could potentially increase with demand as time goes on. Jobs in these rapidly developing industries are also likely to be more attainable in the future as the number of available positions rises. As a result, this is important information for workers looking for employment in the UK.

Engineering:

According to Engineering UK, a vast 27% of businesses in the UK are currently operating in this diverse sector and the number of engineering roles is set to increase in the next few years. At the same time, many engineers in the UK are reaching retiring age and opportunities for career progression are abundant. Despite this, there is a significant shortfall in the number of engineering graduates entering the profession: from now until 2022, 182,000 new employees are required to fill entry-level and graduate positions each year. Chemical engineers are needed in particular, with the number of available roles in pharmaceutical and agricultural companies increasing.

Financial Technology:

Financial technology (or fintech) companies aim to improve financial and banking services through the use of new technology. In many cases, these forms of technology are designed to increase the efficiency of banking services for the general public – mobile banking and cryptocurrencies are examples of innovations that have emerged from fintech firms. The London Stock Exchange predicts that fintech companies will grow by 88% over the next three years, so the demand for technically skilled workers in this industry is likely to increase.

Digital Marketing:

The marketing and advertising professions have evolved in response to the ever-increasing amount of time consumers are spending online. The Credos and Enders Analysis report states that the UK’s online advertising expenditure is the largest in the world relative to the size of its economy, with 0.63% of GDP spent on online ads in 2018. By 2020, almost two-thirds of ad spend in the UK will be online. We can expect to see a huge increase in the availability and average salaries of digital marketing roles over the next few years.

Tips on negotiating salaries

The most important tip for workers looking to negotiate salaries in the UK is to do your research. Always enter an interview armed with knowledge about the average salaries for the role in question in the area. Ensure that you search for local information, as wages vary significantly in different parts of the UK. You could do this by asking current employees in similar positions or by checking out online salary comparison sites.

Having established an expectation of what you should be paid for the role, it is vital to keep your cards close to your chest in an interview or salary negotiation situation: 

• Try not to reveal your past salary as this will bias employer’s wage offers – if you have to disclose this information, be clear that you are looking for an increase based on the experience and training you have now accrued.
• If possible, wait until you have a job offer before discussing the salary. This avoids putting employers off at an early stage.
• When asked to discuss your desired salary, try to find out from the interviewer what the typical salaries or salary ranges are in the job you’re applying for.

Before you enter the discussion, establish an absolute minimum salary that you are not willing to go below. Enter the conversation with a 20% uplift on this baseline salary so that you have room to negotiate down from there. At the same time, you should try to conduct yourself in a friendly way and avoid aggressive negotiation tactics. Remember that, ultimately, you are looking to work for the person you are discussing the salary with, so be polite. You may also read about how to easily transfer money to United Kingdom online!

This article has hopefully provided you with a good insight into what salary you can expect if you move to the UK and secure yourself a job. When you move to the UK and want to transfer money to your new bank account, choose Paysend to benefit from low transfer fees, excellent exchange rates and fast transfers when compared with high-street banks.

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