UK Average Salary by Age Group 2025
Earnings in the UK follow a clear lifecycle pattern: they rise sharply through the twenties and thirties as workers gain experience, qualifications, and seniority; reach a peak in the forties; and then begin a gradual decline as some workers transition to part-time roles, reduce responsibilities, or take early retirement. The ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which covers approximately 180,000 employees, provides the most authoritative picture of how pay varies by age in the UK.
| Age Group | Median Annual Salary (Full-Time) | vs UK Median | Monthly Take-Home (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16–17 | £14,000 | -63% | ~£1,167 |
| 18–21 | £18,000 | -52% | ~£1,500 |
| 22–29 | £26,000 | -30% | ~£1,870 |
| 30–39 | £35,000 | -6.5% | ~£2,320 |
| 40–49 | £42,000 | +12% | ~£2,680 |
| 50–59 | £38,000 | +1.5% | ~£2,460 |
| 60+ | £32,000 | -14.5% | ~£2,160 |
The earnings gap between the youngest and oldest (productive) age groups is striking: the typical 18–21-year-old earns around £18,000 — just 43% of the peak earnings of a 40–49-year-old worker (£42,000). This reflects not only the legal minimum wage age bands but also the reality that young workers are in entry-level, lower-skilled positions, while mid-career workers have accumulated the experience, qualifications, and professional networks that command premium pay.
Salary by Age: Detailed Breakdown
Ages 16–21: Entry-Level and Minimum Wage
The vast majority of 16–17-year-olds who are in employment work in low-skilled, part-time roles — retail, hospitality, and care — largely governed by the National Minimum Wage age rates. The median full-time equivalent for this group is around £14,000, though most will be earning hourly at the £7.55/hr under-18 rate.
Workers aged 18–21 see a notable step up, with a median of around £18,000 for full-time employees. This age group includes both those who have entered the workforce directly from school or college, and those midway through apprenticeships. The introduction of the National Minimum Wage for 18–20-year-olds at £10.00/hr from April 2025 has raised the floor substantially for this age group — a 37.5-hour week produces an annual gross of £19,500 at this rate.
Ages 22–29: Graduate Entry and Early Career
The 22–29 age group spans a transformative period — university graduates entering the workforce, school leavers advancing from entry-level roles, and early-career professionals beginning to climb. The median salary for full-time workers in this bracket is approximately £26,000, though with significant variation by sector and location.
| Sector | Typical Starting Salary (22–24) | After 5 Years (27–29) |
|---|---|---|
| Software Engineering / IT | £28,000–£40,000 | £45,000–£70,000 |
| Finance / Accounting | £25,000–£35,000 | £35,000–£55,000 |
| Law (Solicitor) | £27,000–£50,000 | £40,000–£65,000 |
| NHS (Foundation Doctor) | £36,616 | £43,000–£58,000 |
| Teaching | £30,000 | £33,000–£38,000 |
| Marketing | £22,000–£28,000 | £28,000–£40,000 |
| Retail Management | £22,000–£27,000 | £28,000–£38,000 |
| Hospitality | £19,000–£24,000 | £22,000–£30,000 |
Ages 30–39: Career Consolidation
The thirties represent a period of rapid career development for many UK workers. The median salary jumps to approximately £35,000 — close to the national full-time median of £37,430. Workers in their thirties are typically moving into senior individual contributor roles, entering management for the first time, or establishing themselves in specialist fields that command premium pay.
However, this decade is also when the gender pay gap widens most sharply. Many women take career breaks for maternity leave, reduce hours to accommodate childcare, or shift to more flexible (but lower-paid) roles. By the early thirties, a gap of 5–8% between male and female median earnings begins to emerge, widening further through the decade. This is explored in more detail in the gender pay gap section below.
Ages 40–49: Peak Earning Years
Workers in their forties earn more on average than any other age group, with a median full-time salary of approximately £42,000 — 12% above the overall national median. This reflects the cumulative benefit of 20+ years of experience, professional qualifications, and career advancement to senior or managerial positions.
Within the 40–49 bracket, earnings are not uniform. Many workers at the upper end of this decade will be in director, partner, or executive roles earning £70,000–£150,000+, which pulls the average up. A significant minority, particularly in sectors like hospitality, retail, and care, continue to earn close to the minimum wage regardless of age, illustrating that the age-earnings relationship is heavily mediated by sector and educational background.
Ages 50–59: Late Career Stability and Slight Decline
The 50–59 age group has a median salary of around £38,000 — slightly above the national median but below the 40–49 peak. This decline is partly explained by the "survivor bias" effect: the highest earners in this cohort (senior executives, partners) continue to see rising pay, but an increasing share of workers have moved to part-time or reduced hours as they approach retirement, reducing the group's average. Some workers also deliberately choose lower-paying but less stressful roles as they near retirement.
Ages 60+: Wind-Down and Pension Access
The 60+ age group shows a more significant drop to a median of around £32,000 — roughly 14% below the national median. This reflects a complex mix: some continue in full-time high-paying roles, but a large proportion are in semi-retirement, part-time work, or lower-paid positions. Access to private and state pensions from age 57 (rising to 57 in April 2028) means some workers choose to reduce their earned income as pension income supplements their wages.
Gender Pay Gap by Age
The gender pay gap in the UK does not affect all ages equally. For workers under 30, the gap is very small — in some sectors, women in their twenties actually out-earn men of the same age, driven by higher rates of female university graduation. The gap emerges and widens dramatically in the thirties and forties, coinciding with the years when many women reduce working hours or take career breaks for family responsibilities.
| Age Group | Male Median (Full-Time) | Female Median (Full-Time) | Gender Pay Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–21 | £18,200 | £17,800 | ~2.2% |
| 22–29 | £26,500 | £25,500 | ~3.8% |
| 30–39 | £37,500 | £32,500 | ~13.3% |
| 40–49 | £45,000 | £38,000 | ~15.6% |
| 50–59 | £40,000 | £35,500 | ~11.3% |
| 60+ | £34,000 | £29,500 | ~13.2% |
The most dramatic widening occurs between the 22–29 bracket (where the gap is under 4%) and the 30–39 bracket (where it reaches 13%). This is the period when the "motherhood penalty" — the career cost of having children — affects women disproportionately. Research by the IFS (Institute for Fiscal Studies) has found that within a decade of having a first child, women's hourly wages are about 33% lower than men who have children, even accounting for education and experience.
How Does Your Salary Compare? Take-Home Pay by Age
Knowing the gross median is useful, but what matters is take-home pay. The table below shows estimated net monthly take-home pay (2025/26 tax year, standard L tax code, no student loan or pension contributions) for each age group's median salary.
| Age Group | Median Gross Annual | Income Tax | Employee NI | Monthly Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–21 | £18,000 | £285 | £431 | ~£1,440 |
| 22–29 | £26,000 | £2,686 | £1,074 | ~£1,853 |
| 30–39 | £35,000 | £4,486 | £1,794 | ~£2,311 |
| 40–49 | £42,000 | £5,886 | £2,354 | ~£2,730 |
| 50–59 | £38,000 | £5,086 | £2,034 | ~£2,574 |
| 60+ | £32,000 | £3,886 | £1,554 | ~£2,213 |
Tips to Increase Your Salary at Any Age
In Your Twenties: Build Skills and Move Employers
The most powerful way to increase salary in your twenties is to change employers every 2–3 years. Research consistently shows that job movers receive salary increases of 10–20% on switching, compared with 3–5% annual raises for those who stay. Invest in in-demand certifications (cloud computing, data analytics, project management qualifications, digital marketing) that differentiate you from peers.
In Your Thirties: Negotiate Proactively and Seek Management Roles
The thirties are the decade where salary negotiation has the highest payoff. Moving into management, even a team lead role, typically brings a 15–25% increase. Prepare for annual reviews with market salary data (from job boards, LinkedIn Salary, or industry salary surveys), and be prepared to present your case with evidence of impact. The gender pay gap starts widening in this decade — women in particular should negotiate assertively and not accept the default offer.
In Your Forties: Specialise and Consider Leadership
Workers in their forties who are not yet in senior management should assess whether their experience could command a premium in specialist consulting, self-employment, or contractor work. Experienced professionals can often earn 30–50% more as contractors or consultants than as permanent employees. Alternatively, pursuing director-level roles for the first time in the late forties can dramatically reset the salary trajectory.
In Your Fifties: Protect Pension Contributions and Consider Portfolio Careers
Workers in their fifties approaching retirement should prioritise maximising pension contributions, which reduce taxable income and attract employer contributions. A salary sacrifice arrangement into a workplace pension can be particularly tax-efficient above the £50,270 higher-rate threshold. Some workers find a "portfolio career" approach — combining part-time employment, consulting, and freelance work — both financially rewarding and more flexible than a single full-time role.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on ONS ASHE 2024 data for full-time workers: ages 18-21 earn approximately £18,000/year; ages 22-29 earn around £26,000; ages 30-39 earn approximately £35,000; ages 40-49 earn around £42,000 (the peak earning decade); ages 50-59 earn approximately £38,000; and workers aged 60+ earn around £32,000. The overall UK median for full-time workers is £37,430.
UK workers typically reach peak earnings in their 40s, with the 40-49 age group recording the highest median full-time salary at approximately £42,000/year. This reflects accumulated experience, seniority, specialist qualifications, and management responsibilities. Earnings begin to decline from the mid-50s as some workers shift to part-time or lower-intensity roles ahead of retirement.
The median salary for the 22–29 age group is approximately £26,000. Earning £28,000–£32,000 at age 25 would be above average for your age group. In London, £35,000 is often considered a minimum for a comfortable standard of living. Outside London, £27,000–£30,000 is generally considered solid for this age. High-paying graduate roles in finance, law, and technology often start at £28,000–£40,000.
Yes, significantly. For workers under 30, the gender pay gap is very small (around 2–4%). The gap widens most dramatically in the 30–39 age group to around 13%, when many women take career breaks for childcare or move to flexible, lower-paid roles. By the 40s, women earn around 15% less than men on average. This pattern is known as the "motherhood penalty."
The most effective strategies include: switching employers (job movers earn 10–20% more on average than staying put); gaining in-demand professional qualifications; moving into management; relocating to higher-paying regions; negotiating at review time with market data; developing high-demand skills in data analytics, technology, or AI; and seeking promotion proactively rather than waiting for it to be offered.
The average UK graduate starting salary in 2025 is approximately £26,000–£28,000. The highest-paying graduate careers include investment banking (£45,000–£60,000), technology/software engineering (£35,000–£45,000), law (£30,000–£50,000), medicine (foundation doctors start at £36,616), and management consulting (£30,000–£45,000). Graduate salaries in London average around 15–20% higher than the rest of the UK.
UK salary growth by age follows a similar lifecycle to other developed economies, but peak earnings (around £42,000 median for the 40s) are lower than equivalent workers in the US, Germany, and Switzerland. However, when accounting for the UK's National Health Service, public education, and social safety net, purchasing power comparisons are closer to France and Germany. UK salaries are significantly below Scandinavian countries in absolute terms but comparable when adjusted for social provision.