What counts as a "good salary" depends on many factors — where you live, your industry, your lifestyle, and your financial goals. This guide breaks down UK salary benchmarks to help you understand where you stand.
UK Average Salary 2024
As of 2025, the median full-time salary in the UK is approximately £35,000. This means half of full-time workers earn more than this and half earn less. The mean (average) salary is higher at around £40,000 due to high earners pulling the average up.
Salary Benchmarks by Percentile
- Bottom 10%: Around £20,000 or less
- Lower-middle (25th percentile): Around £25,000
- Median (50th percentile): Around £35,000
- Upper-middle (75th percentile): Around £50,000
- Top 10%: Around £70,000 or more
- Top 5%: Around £90,000+
- Top 1%: Around £180,000+
By Region
Salaries vary significantly by region:
- London: Median ~£40,000-45,000 (significantly higher but so is cost of living)
- South East: Median ~£35,000-38,000
- Scotland: Median ~£33,000-35,000
- North West: Median ~£32,000-34,000
- Wales and Northern Ireland: Median ~£30,000-32,000
What Makes a Salary "Good"?
Beyond the raw numbers, a good salary should provide:
- Comfortable living: Cover your essential costs with room for savings and discretionary spending
- Housing affordability: Generally, housing costs should be no more than 30-35% of take-home pay
- Savings potential: Ability to save at least 10-15% of your income for retirement and emergencies
- Lifestyle fit: Enough to enjoy your preferred lifestyle, whether that's dining out, travelling, or pursuing hobbies
Take-Home Pay Perspective
Remember, your take-home pay differs significantly from your gross salary due to tax and NI. For example, a £50,000 salary takes home approximately £37,000 after tax. Use our calculator to check your effective take-home pay for any salary.
Check your take-home pay with our salary calculator and see how you compare.