Average Income
What is the average income in the UK?
Gross household income per week by region in £
What most people ask is what their income will be when they come to the UK. Like the question: "What will be my cost of living in the UK?", it is very difficult to answer accurately. According to the latest statistics, the median gross annual income for a full-time employee in 2010 was £25,900. What your average income will be in real life, though, depends on different factors, such as your qualifications, work experience and the field you work in.
The UK market is very competitive. It often happens that professionals that have enjoyed good reputation and income in their countries, find it difficult to get a good job in England, for the simple reason that they don't have work experience in the UK. On the other hand, if you are a gifted person, or just plain lucky, you may land on the job with the income you were hoping for (or more than that!) right away. For more tips about getting a job in the UK, please visit our Jobs section.
Useful tip: When you start applying for jobs, you will probably notice that jobs in and around London tend to be more well-paid. This is partly because finance and management jobs (which are generally very well-paid) tend to be gathered in London. Also, employers tend to pay more in London because the cost of living there is much higher than in other areas in England. Always take into account the cost of living of the relevant area when calculating your income.
The field you work in will play a huge role in determining your average income, as certain jobs are more well-paid than others. Have a look at the table below to get an idea about the average income in the UK depending on the work field.
The UK market is very competitive. It often happens that professionals that have enjoyed good reputation and income in their countries, find it difficult to get a good job in England, for the simple reason that they don't have work experience in the UK. On the other hand, if you are a gifted person, or just plain lucky, you may land on the job with the income you were hoping for (or more than that!) right away. For more tips about getting a job in the UK, please visit our Jobs section.
Useful tip: When you start applying for jobs, you will probably notice that jobs in and around London tend to be more well-paid. This is partly because finance and management jobs (which are generally very well-paid) tend to be gathered in London. Also, employers tend to pay more in London because the cost of living there is much higher than in other areas in England. Always take into account the cost of living of the relevant area when calculating your income.
The field you work in will play a huge role in determining your average income, as certain jobs are more well-paid than others. Have a look at the table below to get an idea about the average income in the UK depending on the work field.
|
|
When looking at information about income do not forget that demographic characteristics usually play their role in the income you will have. According to the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, age plays an important role in the gross income you should expect. The age group with the highest income is the 40-49 years old group, where the median of the gross weekly earnings was at £560. The median of the 22-29 years old group was £411. The gender pay gap in the UK appears to decrease slowly, but it's still a long way to equal pay. Men's median of weakly earnings is £538, while women's is £439. The only age group where women make more money than men is the 21-29 year-olds. As for the income of foreign-born people in comparison to the UK-born population, it seems to vary according to country of origin (EU or non-EU), profession and region. Search the Office for National Statistics for more information. Also look at the table below regarding sources of income depending on ethnic group. |
Tax Calculator
If you are applying for a job or have already been offered a job, you may be wondering how much you will have to contribute towards taxes (remember that the salary as advertised in the job ad is before taxes). Use the tax calculator in order to find out what will be left from your salary after the tax deductions. Don't forget to include your pension contributions, although in most jobs you can opt out if you don't wish to receive a pension from the UK.
