Most UK full-time employees earn somewhere between £25,288 and £82,680 a year: those are the 10th and 90th percentiles of gross pay in April 2026, and half of full-time employees earn between £30,600 and £56,842. The middle (median) full-time salary is £40,911. These figures are from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) for April 2026, which are provisional.
This page explains what those percentiles mean, why the average is higher than the median, and how pay differs by region. To see where your own salary falls, use the income percentile calculator.
Read more: See our Salary By Profession guide for pay by job.
Full-Time Pay Percentiles
A percentile is the salary below which that share of employees fall: the 25th percentile is the pay that a quarter of full-time employees earn less than.
| Percentile | Gross annual pay (full-time) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | £25,288 | 10% of full-time employees earn less |
| 20th | £28,857 | |
| 25th | £30,600 | A quarter earn less |
| 30th | £32,393 | |
| 40th | £36,398 | |
| 50th (median) | £40,911 | Half earn less, half earn more |
| 60th | £46,367 | |
| 70th | £52,647 | |
| 75th | £56,842 | A quarter earn more |
| 80th | £62,500 | |
| 90th | £82,680 | 10% earn more |
Source: ONS ASHE 2026 provisional, Table 1.7a (annual pay, gross, full-time employee jobs), rounded to the pound. Employees on adult rates who have been in the same job for at least a year. ONS publishes the 10th to 90th percentiles only.
The gaps between percentiles widen towards the top. Moving from the 50th to the 75th percentile adds £15,931; moving from the 75th to the 90th adds £25,838. At the bottom, the 10th and 25th percentiles are only £5,312 apart. That shape (bunched at the bottom, stretched at the top) is what “right-skewed” means.
For the very top of the distribution, ASHE doesn’t publish percentiles above the 90th. HMRC’s Survey of Personal Incomes does, for people with some Income Tax to pay (not only full-time employees) and for total income rather than pay: see top 1% income and top 10% income.
Mean vs Median: Why It Matters
| Measure | Amount | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £40,911 | What the “typical” person earns |
| Mean full-time pay | £52,109 | Summary including all earners |
Median and mean are from ONS ASHE for April 2026 (provisional, Table 1.7a, full-time employee jobs). The mean is £11,198 higher than the median because high earners pull the average up. Headlines often use whichever number suits the story, so check which measure is being used.
Regional Income Distribution
Median full-time pay by where the job is, April 2026 (ONS ASHE Table 7.7a, provisional), against the UK figure of £40,911:
| Region | Median full-time salary | Ratio to UK median |
|---|---|---|
| London | £53,132 | 1.30× |
| South East | £41,664 | 1.02× |
| Scotland | £41,466 | 1.01× |
| East of England | £40,531 | 0.99× |
| South West | £39,078 | 0.96× |
| West Midlands | £38,628 | 0.94× |
| North West | £38,599 | 0.94× |
| Northern Ireland | £38,203 | 0.93× |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £37,519 | 0.92× |
| Wales | £37,330 | 0.91× |
| East Midlands | £36,975 | 0.90× |
| North East | £36,460 | 0.89× |
London’s median is 1.46 times the North East’s. Housing costs more in London too: the London vs North salary comparison sets house prices against pay, and average salary by region and city covers the cities.
Why Income Distribution Matters for Your Finances
Understanding where you sit in the distribution helps with:
| Application | How distribution data helps |
|---|---|
| Salary negotiation | Know if you’re underpaid for your role and region |
| Mortgage applications | Lenders assess you relative to income norms |
| Financial planning | Understand your real spending power vs peers |
| Tax planning | Know which thresholds and traps apply to you |
| Retirement planning | Estimate how much state vs private pension you’ll need |