UK Salary by Profession 2026/27

Median £21,239 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £18,789–£24,152

Full-time teaching assistants (SOC 2020 6112) were paid a median of £21,239 in ONS ASHE 2025, with the middle half between £18,789 and £24,152. That is actual pay over the year, so term-time-only contracts are already reflected in it. Across all TAs, part-time included, the median was £18,024. The role sits entirely inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Median £23,717 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £16,583–£26,521

Early education and childcare practitioners had a full-time median gross pay of £23,717 in ONS ASHE 2025, with the middle half between £20,610 and £26,521. That median is below the bottom of the NJC local government pay spine for the same year, 2025/26, which was £24,413 at SCP 2 before that point was deleted in April 2026. That is the clearest measure of how much of the sector is private and voluntary rather than council-employed.

Median £24,130 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 90th percentile: £20,942–£33,113

Cleaners earned a full-time median of £24,130 in ONS ASHE 2025 (SOC 2020 9223), measured in April 2025. From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, so a full-time cleaner's pay floor is now higher than the April 2025 median. Most cleaning work is part-time, so the all-employee median is far lower, at £11,852.

Median £24,678 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £19,397–£32,790

Receptionists earn a full-time median of £24,678 (ONS ASHE 2025, SOC 2020 4216), with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of £19,397 to £32,790. That was measured in April 2025; from April 2026 the National Living Wage alone comes to about £24,785 a year on a 37.5-hour week. The role sits entirely inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Agenda for Change Band 2, a single pay point: £25,272

Band 2 covers healthcare assistants and other entry-level support roles at a single 2026/27 Agenda for Change rate of £25,272, with no progression inside the band. London weighting and unsocial-hours enhancements add on top.

Agenda for Change Band 2, a single pay point: £25,272 · Band 2 single point to the top of Band 3: £25,272–£27,476

NHS Healthcare Assistants sit on Agenda for Change Band 2, a single point of £25,272 for 2026/27, or Band 3, £25,760 to £27,476, depending on responsibility and clinical setting. Unsocial hours enhancements and a High Cost Area Supplement of 20% of basic pay in inner London are paid on top.

Median £25,742 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £23,380–£28,935

ONS put the full-time median for dental nurses (SOC 2020 6133) at £25,742 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £23,380 and a quarter above £28,935. Dental nurses employed directly by the NHS are paid on Agenda for Change, usually starting between Band 3 and Band 4, £25,760 to £31,157 for 2026/27; many work in dental practices that set their own pay. GDC registration is required, and training is usually an 18 month level 3 apprenticeship.

Median £27,273 · ASHE 2025, 25th percentile to median (upper quartile suppressed): £23,596–£27,273

ONS classifies personal trainers with other fitness and wellbeing instructors as SOC 2020 unit group 3433. The full-time median for employees in the group was £27,273 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £23,596; ONS suppressed the upper quartile. Self-employed trainers are outside ASHE, which surveys employee jobs only.

Median £27,468 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £22,798–£32,493

ONS classifies care workers and home carers as SOC 2020 unit group 6135. Their full-time median was £27,468 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of full-time care workers below £22,798 and a quarter above £32,493. From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour, about £24,785 a year on a 37.5-hour week. Much care work is part-time, so annual pay across all care workers is lower than the full-time figure.

Agenda for Change Band 3 top point: £27,476 · The two points of Band 3, entry to top: £25,760–£27,476

Band 3 covers senior healthcare assistants and clinical support workers. 2026/27 AfC pay is £25,760-£27,476 across a 2-year progression.

Median £27,832 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £20,995–£39,583

Warehouse operatives earn a full-time median of £27,832 (ONS ASHE 2025, SOC 2020 9252), with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of £20,995 to £39,583. ASHE annual pay includes the shift premiums and overtime employees were actually paid. The whole published range sits inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Median £27,848 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £24,583–£33,076

ONS codes a customer service advisor to SOC 2020 unit group 7219, customer service occupations n.e.c., whose full-time median was £27,848 in ASHE 2025, with the middle half between £24,583 and £33,076. Advisors in a call or contact centre are coded separately to 7211, median £27,035. The median sits inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Median £27,854 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £21,289–£39,586

ONS classifies delivery drivers and couriers as SOC 2020 unit group 8214. The full-time median for employees was £27,854 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £24,583 and a quarter above £33,472. Self-employed drivers, including Amazon Flex, are outside ASHE; Amazon says most Flex drivers earn up to £14-£18 an hour, depending on location, before their own vehicle costs.

Median £27,857 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £23,786–£31,223

Full-time refuse and salvage workers had a median gross pay of £27,857 in ONS ASHE 2025, with the middle half of the occupation between £25,803 and £31,223. That median sits close to spine point 10 on the 2025/26 NJC pay spine (£27,694), the scale most council waste services are graded on.

Civil Service combined AA/AO median, 31 March 2026: £28,020 · Lowest to highest departmental AA/AO median, 31 March 2026: £25,500–£31,990

Administrative Officer is the grade above Administrative Assistant. Cabinet Office publishes the two as one combined band: the median across the whole Civil Service was £28,020 as at 31 March 2026, the most recent departmental breakdown available, ranging from £25,500 to £31,990 depending on the department. Take-home below is calculated on 2026/27 tax rates.

Median £28,294 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £21,390–£42,410

Office administrators and admin assistants earn a full-time median of £28,294 (ONS ASHE 2025, SOC 2020 4159), with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of £21,390 to £42,410. The median sits inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Median £28,950 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £23,022–£32,942

Full-time caretakers had a median gross pay of £28,950 in ONS ASHE 2025, with the middle half of the occupation between £25,678 and £32,942. That is around spine point 13 on the 2025/26 NJC pay spine (£29,064), the scale most school and council site staff sit on.

Median £30,010 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £25,894–£36,126

ONS classifies chefs as SOC 2020 unit group 5434, which covers every grade from commis to head chef; kitchen porters are a separate group (9263). The full-time median for chefs was £30,010 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £25,894 and a quarter above £36,126. ONS does not split the group by brigade role or region.

Median £30,648 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £25,879–£38,085

Estate agents and auctioneers had a full-time median of £30,648 in ONS ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £25,879 and a quarter above £38,085. Pay is typically a low basic plus commission, and because ASHE measures gross pay actually received, the published figures already include commission earned rather than an on-target estimate.

Median £30,886 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £23,820–£36,188

Local government administrative occupations had a full-time median gross pay of £30,886 in ONS ASHE 2025, with the middle half between £26,393 and £36,188. That median lands close to spine point 17 on the 2025/26 NJC pay spine (£31,022). Council administrative pay runs a little below the national government equivalent, which had a median of £33,000.

Median £31,044 · ASHE 2025 10th percentile to the top of AfC Band 5: £23,050–£39,043

Pharmacy technicians earn a full-time median of £31,044 (ONS ASHE 2025). In the NHS they sit on Agenda for Change Band 4-5 (£28,392 to £39,043 in 2026/27); community pharmacy employers set their own pay. The role sits inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Agenda for Change Band 4 top point: £31,157 · The two points of Band 4, entry to top: £28,392–£31,157

Band 4 covers Assistant Practitioners and Nursing Associates. 2026/27 AfC pay is £28,392 at entry and £31,157 at the top point, reached after 3 years in the band.

Agenda for Change Band 4 top point: £31,157 · The two points of Band 4, entry to top: £28,392–£31,157

UK Ambulance Technicians (associate ambulance practitioners) sit at NHS Agenda for Change Band 4 (£28,392-£31,157), above emergency care assistants at Band 3 and below registered paramedics at Band 5-6. Unsocial-hours enhancements add materially to base pay. SOC 2020 6132 (ambulance staff excluding paramedics).

Median £31,560 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £23,000–£50,845

ONS does not measure payroll managers separately. The role sits in "Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks" (SOC 2020 4122), whose full-time median was £31,560 in ASHE 2025. That group mixes clerical payroll work with the manager grade, so a manager running end-to-end payroll sits in the upper part of the range rather than at the median: the 75th percentile is £40,123 and the 90th is £50,845.

Median £31,560 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £23,000–£50,845

Bookkeepers keep the day-to-day financial records of businesses. ONS measures them in "Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks" (SOC 2020 4122), whose full-time median was £31,560 in ASHE 2025, from £23,000 at the 10th percentile to £50,845 at the 90th. ASHE counts employees only, so self-employed bookkeepers are not in these figures.

Civil Service EO median, 31 March 2026: £32,140 · Lowest to highest departmental EO median, 31 March 2026: £26,950–£43,280

EO is the standard early-to-mid-career grade across most departments. The median across the whole Civil Service was £32,140 as at 31 March 2026, the most recent departmental breakdown Cabinet Office publishes, ranging from £26,950 to £43,280 between departments. Take-home below is calculated on 2026/27 tax rates.

Median £32,510 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £24,433–£40,000

ONS classifies graphic designers as SOC 2020 unit group 2142, "Graphic and multimedia designers". Their full-time median was £32,510 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £26,854 and a quarter above £40,000. ASHE surveys employee jobs only, so freelance designers are outside these figures.

Median £32,654 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £24,054–£37,934

Youth and community workers had a full-time median gross pay of £32,654 in ONS ASHE 2025, with the middle half of the occupation between £27,248 and £37,934. That median is close to spine point 20 on the 2025/26 NJC pay spine (£32,597). Much of the sector is charity-funded rather than council-employed, and pay follows the funder.

Median £33,030 · ASHE 2025, 25th percentile to median (upper quartile suppressed): £28,106–£33,030

ONS classifies bricklayers as SOC 2020 unit group 5313. The full-time median for employee bricklayers was £33,030 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £28,106; ONS suppressed the upper quartile. ASHE surveys employee jobs only, so self-employed bricklayers are outside these figures.

OR2-07, supplement 1: £33,823 · Increments 1 to 10, trade supplements 1 to 4: £27,282–£41,164

Private is the entry rank for a British Army soldier, OR-2 on the NATO scale, and the equivalent of an RAF Leading or Senior Aircraftman or a Royal Navy Able Rating. Pay in 2026/27 starts at £27,282 and reaches £41,164 at the top increment on the highest trade supplement. Those figures already include X-Factor, and carry the 3.6% award the Government accepted in full on 9 June 2026.

OR2-07, supplement 1: £33,823 · Increments 1 to 10, trade supplements 1 to 4: £27,282–£41,164

Able Rating is the entry rank for a Royal Navy rating, OR-2 on the NATO scale the Armed Forces pay tables are built on. Pay in 2026/27 runs from £27,282 to £41,164: the bottom is the first increment on any of the four trade supplements, the top is the tenth increment on supplement 4. The figures already include X-Factor and carry the 3.6% award the Government accepted in full on 9 June 2026, backdated to 1 April 2026.

Median £33,832 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £23,794–£44,793

Security guards earn a full-time median of £33,832 (ONS ASHE 2025, SOC 2020 9231), with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of £23,794 to £44,793. An SIA licence is a legal requirement for most front-line roles. The median sits inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Median £34,014 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £28,900–£40,477

ONS classifies carpenters and joiners as SOC 2020 unit group 5316. The full-time median for employee carpenters was £34,014 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £28,900 and a quarter above £40,477. ASHE surveys employee jobs only, so a self-employed carpenter working under the Construction Industry Scheme is outside these figures.

M1, the first point of the main pay range: £34,069 · M1 to M2, the two years of early career teacher induction: £34,069–£36,042

First-year teacher pay in England is set by the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document. The main pay range starts at £34,069 outside London under the 2026 award, in force from 1 September 2026, with separate and higher columns for the fringe, outer London and inner London. Induction under the Early Career Framework runs for two years.

ASHE 2025 median, SOC 2319 employed teaching professionals n.e.c.: £34,396 · ASHE 2025 SOC 2319, 25th to 75th percentile: £28,753–£43,208

Most private tutors are self-employed, and no official statistic measures what they earn: ASHE surveys employee jobs only. The closest published figure is for the ONS unit group tutoring falls under, teaching professionals n.e.c. (SOC 2020 2319), whose full-time median was £34,396 in ASHE 2025 - a measure of employed teaching staff rather than of self-employed tutoring income, and worth reading as a reference point rather than a target.

Agenda for Change Band 5 intermediate point: £34,592 · The three points of Band 5, entry to top: £32,073–£39,043

Band 5 is the entry grade for a registered nurse. 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay is £32,073–£39,043 across three pay points; after tax, NI and pension the actual take-home is materially different.

Agenda for Change Band 5 intermediate point: £34,592 · The three points of Band 5, entry to top: £32,073–£39,043

Registered Mental Health Nurses sit on NHS Band 5, which has three points for 2026/27: £32,073 at entry, £34,592 after two years and £39,043 at the top. A High Cost Area Supplement of 20% of basic pay is paid on top in inner London, 15% in outer London, and the Section 2 unsocial hours enhancement on top of that.

Agenda for Change Band 5 intermediate point: £34,592 · The three points of Band 5, entry to top: £32,073–£39,043

A registered operating department practitioner starts on Agenda for Change Band 5, which has three points for 2026/27: £32,073 at entry, £34,592 after two years and £39,043 at the top. The NHS pension tier boundary at £35,155 falls between the second and third of those points, so the last step up the band is the one where the contribution rate changes and the net gain is smaller than the gross suggests.

Median £34,688 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £25,066–£39,300

Full-time housing officers had a median gross pay of £34,688 in ONS ASHE 2025, with the middle half between £29,267 and £39,300. That median is close to spine point 23 on the 2025/26 NJC pay spine (£34,434). The group covers council housing teams and housing associations, which do not all use the same scale.

Pay point 4, 1 September 2025 scale: £35,106 · Pay points 1 to 7, 1 September 2025 scale: £31,164–£50,256

England and Wales constable pay runs across seven pay points, £31,164 to £50,256, on the scale awaiting the determination that implements the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026. The Home Secretary awarded 3.5% from 1 September 2026 - below the 3.9% the Police Remuneration Review Body recommended - and the revised pay points are not published yet. Scotland and Northern Ireland set police pay separately.

Median £35,194 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £29,116–£43,735

Recruitment consultants are usually paid a base salary plus commission on placement fees. ONS measures them in human resources and industrial relations officers (SOC 2020 3571), whose full-time median was £35,194 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £29,116 and a quarter above £43,735. ASHE covers employees only, so self-employed and agency-owning recruiters are not in these figures.

Median £36,340 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £30,889–£43,855

ONS classifies bus and coach drivers as SOC 2020 unit group 8212. Their full-time median was £36,340 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £30,889 and a quarter above £43,855. Pay is set by each operator; ONS does not split the group by operator or region in this table, and did not publish a reliable 90th percentile.

Median £36,457 · Lower quartile to group mean: £29,616–£44,122

Chartered architectural technologists, planning officers and consultants had a full-time median gross pay of £36,457 in ONS ASHE 2025. ONS suppressed the upper quartile for this group, so the range shown runs from the published lower quartile (£29,616) up to the group mean (£44,122), which sits above the median because senior consultancy roles pull it up.

Band 3 point 1, 39 hours with 2xACHP and 20% unsocial: £36,816 · Band 3, 37-hour base point 1 to 41-hour point 3 with allowances: £29,107–£41,417

Prison officers in England and Wales are Fair and Sustainable Band 3. From 1 April 2026 the national scale is £29,107 to £30,648 for a 37 hour week, after the 3.5% award the Lord Chancellor accepted in full. Two additions sit on top of base: the Unsocial Working Hours allowance adds 20% and Additional Committed Hours raise the contract above 37 hours, so a 39 hour officer at the top of the scale is on £38,766. Inner London adds a fixed £5,218 to the scale maximum, outer London £3,432.

OR3-02, supplement 1: £36,892 · range £35,310–£41,164

Lance Corporal is the first rank above Private, OR-3 on the NATO scale. Pay in 2026/27 runs from £35,310 to £41,164 across three increment levels and four trade supplements. The scale carries the 3.6% award accepted in full on 9 June 2026, and the figures already include X-Factor.

Median £37,881 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £24,916–£45,451

ONS put the full-time median for plumbers and heating and ventilating installers (SOC 2020 5315) at £37,881 in ASHE 2025, from £24,916 at the 10th percentile to £45,451 at the 75th. ASHE counts employees only, so self-employed plumbers are not in these figures.

Median £37,924 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 80th percentile: £25,377–£56,989

ONS classifies sales engineers and solutions consultants as business sales executives (SOC 2020 3552), whose full-time median was £37,924 in ASHE 2025. The group spans a wide range - £25,377 at the 10th percentile to £56,989 at the 80th - because it mixes field sales with technical pre-sales, and specialist technical roles sit towards the top of it rather than at the middle.

Median £38,068 · Lower quartile to group mean: £32,191–£44,525

Librarians had a full-time median gross pay of £38,068 in ONS ASHE 2025. ONS suppressed the upper quartile, so the range shown runs from the published lower quartile (£32,191) to the group mean (£44,525), which is pulled up by academic and specialist library posts. The median sits close to spine point 27 on the 2025/26 NJC pay spine (£38,220).

Band 5 pay point 2, 37-hour base pay: £38,305 · Band 5, 37-hour base point 1 to 39-hour point 3 with allowances: £37,417–£49,600

Custodial Manager is Band 5 in the HMPPS Fair and Sustainable structure, the first operational management rung, typically running a wing or a functional area. Base pay runs across three points from £37,417 to £39,214, reaching £49,600 on a 39 hour contract with committed hours payments and the 20% unsocial hours addition. The 3.5% PSPRB award was accepted in full on 26 March 2026.

Median £38,447 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £25,597–£75,791

Retail and wholesale managers earn a full-time median of £38,447 (ONS ASHE 2025, SOC 2020 1150), with a wide 10th-to-90th percentile range of £25,597 to £75,791. The median is basic-rate pay; the upper quartile, £52,498, is above the £50,270 higher-rate threshold.

Median £38,572 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £30,835–£47,045

ONS codes data analysts to SOC 2020 unit group 3544. Their full-time median was £38,572 in ASHE 2025, with a lower quartile of £30,835 and an upper quartile of £47,045; the 10th percentile was £27,338, and ONS did not publish a 90th percentile for the group.

ASHE 2025 lower quartile, SOC 2421: £38,696 · ASHE 2025, 10th percentile to median: £29,557–£50,062

Junior accountants span AAT-trained finance assistants to final-year trainees. ONS does not measure them separately, so the anchor is where they sit within chartered and certified accountants (SOC 2020 2421): the lower quartile was £38,696 in ASHE 2025 and the 10th percentile £29,557, against a group median of £50,062 that includes fully qualified accountants.

Agenda for Change Band 5 top point: £39,043 · Band 5 entry to Band 6 top: £32,073–£48,117

Dental hygienists employed by the NHS in a hospital or community clinic start at Agenda for Change Band 5 or 6, according to NHS Health Careers: Band 5 runs from £32,073 to £39,043 and Band 6 from £39,959 to £48,117 in 2026/27. Practices outside Agenda for Change set their own pay, and no published series measures it. GDC registration is mandatory. SOC 2020 3213 (medical and dental technicians).

Median £39,647 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £24,538–£57,786

ONS put the full-time median for electricians and electrical fitters (SOC 2020 5241) at £39,647 in ASHE 2025. Employed electricians in electrical contracting are graded by the Joint Industry Board: from 5 January 2026 an Approved Electrician is paid £18.61 an hour shop-employed to £21.19 job-employed with own transport, £36,290 to £41,321 a year on a 37.5-hour week, outside London. Self-employed electricians are not in ASHE.

Median £39,905 · National Careers Service, starter to experienced: £27,000–£47,000

UK large goods vehicle (HGV) drivers earn from about £27,000 as a starter to £47,000 experienced (National Careers Service); the median hourly rate was £16.25 in 2025 (ASHE). SOC 2020 8211 (heavy and large goods vehicle drivers).

Agenda for Change Band 6 entry point: £39,959 · Band 5 entry to Band 6 top: £32,073–£48,117

Dental therapists and hygienists in salaried NHS or community roles sit on Agenda for Change Band 5-6 (£32,073 to £48,117 in 2026/27). Many work in general or private practice on sessional or hourly rates, which no official series measures. The NHS band sits inside the 20% basic-rate tax band.

Grey Book competent firefighter rate, from 1 July 2026: £40,358 · Firefighter development rate to Watch Manager competent B: £31,539–£50,034

Firefighter pay is negotiated in the National Joint Council and published in the Grey Book, not set by a review body. Rates from 1 July 2026, after the agreed 3.8% rise: Development £31,539, Competent £40,358, Crew Manager £42,892-£44,742, Watch Manager £45,711-£50,034. Control room roles are paid 95% of the equivalent firefighting role, and on-call firefighters get a retainer set at 15% of the wholetime salary.

Median £41,128 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 80th percentile: £28,891–£53,567

UX researchers run qualitative and quantitative research across product, design and customer insight teams. The ONS coding index lists "Researcher, user" under two unit groups; the closer fit is "Business and related research professionals" (SOC 2020 2434), whose full-time median was £41,128 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £34,995 and the 80th percentile at £53,567.

Basic pay, nodal point 1 (FY1): £41,226 · Basic pay, nodal points 1 and 2 (FY1 to FY2): £41,226–£47,610

F1 is the first year of medical foundation training. Basic pay in England is £41,226 at nodal point 1 for 2026 to 2027, rising to £47,610 at FY2. That figure carries both the accepted 3.5% DDRB award from 1 April 2026 and the negotiated nodal point reform. Rota supplements for nights, weekends and on-call are paid on top of basic.

Band 4 spot rate, 37 hours with 20% unsocial: £41,328 · Band 4, 37-hour base to 39 hours with 2xACHP and 20% unsocial: £34,440–£43,562

Supervising Officer is Band 4 in the HMPPS Fair and Sustainable structure, the first supervisory rung above a prison officer. Base pay is a spot rate of £34,440 rather than a range, rising to £41,328 with the 20% unsocial hours addition and £43,562 on 39 contracted hours with two committed hours payments. The 3.5% PSPRB award was accepted in full on 26 March 2026 and backdated to 1 April.

Median £41,725 · 40th to 60th percentile: £39,109–£44,767

Environmental health professionals had a full-time median gross pay of £41,725 in ONS ASHE 2025. It is a small occupation and ONS suppressed both quartiles, so the range shown is the only pair of published points either side of the median: the 40th percentile at £39,109 and the 60th at £44,767. The median sits close to spine point 31 on the 2025/26 NJC pay spine (£41,771).

ASHE 2025 lower quartile, SOC 2412: £42,015 · ASHE 2025, 10th percentile to median: £29,279–£56,977

ONS measures solicitors and lawyers as one occupation (SOC 2020 2412) without splitting by post-qualification experience, so a junior solicitor is read against the lower part of it: the lower quartile was £42,015 in ASHE 2025 and the 10th percentile £29,279, against a group median of £56,977 that covers every level of call. Newly qualified pay at individual firms, including City and US firms in London, is set by each firm and is not measured separately.

Median £42,079 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £34,346–£49,077

Dietitians are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and qualify through an approved degree, entering the NHS on Agenda for Change Band 5 (£32,073 to £39,043 in 2026/27) and progressing through Bands 6 and 7 to consultant posts at Band 8. "Nutritionist" is not a protected title. ONS codes dietitians to SOC 2020 unit group 2259, full-time median £42,079 in ASHE 2025, and nutritionists to 2229, median £37,599.

Agenda for Change Band 6 intermediate point: £42,170 · The three points of Band 6, entry to top: £39,959–£48,117

Band 6 is the first genuinely specialist grade — team leaders, practice nurses, community specialists, and clinical educators. Pay ranges £39,959–£48,117 (Agenda for Change 2026/27).

Agenda for Change Band 6 intermediate point: £42,170 · The three points of Band 6, entry to top: £39,959–£48,117

NHS Health Careers says paramedics are paid on Agenda for Change "typically starting at band 5 and progressing to band 6 after two years", so Band 6 is the career grade rather than the starting one. Band 6 runs £39,959 at entry, £42,170 at the intermediate point and £48,117 at the top for 2026/27. Unsocial hours payments for nights and weekends are paid on top of basic under Section 2 of the AfC handbook.

Agenda for Change Band 6 intermediate point: £42,170 · The three points of Band 6, entry to top: £39,959–£48,117

Newly qualified diagnostic radiographers enter NHS Band 5, £32,073 to £39,043. Most progress to Band 6 after two years, the career grade for hospital radiographers, which runs £39,959 at entry, £42,170 at the intermediate point and £48,117 at the top for 2026/27.

Agenda for Change Band 6 intermediate point: £42,170 · The three points of Band 6, entry to top: £39,959–£48,117

Newly qualified occupational therapists enter NHS Band 5, £32,073 to £39,043. Band 6 covers rotational and specialist hospital and community posts and runs £39,959 at entry, £42,170 at the intermediate point and £48,117 at the top.

Agenda for Change Band 6 intermediate point: £42,170 · The three points of Band 6, entry to top: £39,959–£48,117

UK physiotherapists qualify through an approved degree and HCPC registration. NHS Band 6 (England, 2026/27) pays £39,959 at entry, £42,170 after 2 years and £48,117 at the top after 5. ONS ASHE 2025 puts the full-time median for physiotherapists (SOC 2020 2221), NHS and private together, at £43,532.

Agenda for Change Band 6 intermediate point: £42,170 · The three points of Band 6, entry to top: £39,959–£48,117

NHS midwives are paid on Agenda for Change; this card uses Band 6. 2026/27 (England, effective 1 April 2026): entry £39,959, after 2 years £42,170, after 5 years £48,117. Under Section 2 of the NHS terms and conditions handbook, unsocial hours are paid on top at time plus 30% for Saturdays and weekday nights and time plus 60% for Sundays and public holidays. ONS ASHE 2025 puts the full-time median for midwifery nurses (SOC 2020 2231) at £46,990.

Agenda for Change Band 6 intermediate point: £42,170 · Band 5 entry to Band 7 top: £32,073–£56,515

Dietitians are HCPC-registered clinical professionals who sit on NHS Agenda for Change Band 5-7 (£32,073 to £56,515 in 2026/27), with advanced and consultant roles at Band 8a and above. Because the NHS pension is deducted before Income Tax, Band 5-7 pay is taxed almost entirely at the basic rate: only about £198 of the Band 7 top point is taxed at 40%.

Agenda for Change Band 6 intermediate point: £42,170 · Band 5 entry to Band 7 top: £32,073–£56,515

Podiatrists (chiropodists) are HCPC-registered clinicians on NHS Agenda for Change Band 5-7 (£32,073 to £56,515 in 2026/27), and some work in private practice where earnings vary with caseload. Because the NHS pension comes off before Income Tax, NHS Band 5-7 pay is taxed almost entirely at 20%: only about £198 of the Band 7 top point is taxed at 40%.

ASHE 2025 lower quartile, SOC 2134: £42,289 · ASHE 2025, 10th percentile to median: £32,835–£56,914

ONS does not measure junior roles separately, so the honest anchor is where juniors sit within their unit group. For programmers and software development professionals (SOC 2020 2134) the lower quartile was £42,289 in ASHE 2025 and the 10th percentile £32,835, against a group median of £56,914 that includes engineers at every level of experience.

OR4-04, supplement 1: £42,660 · OR4-01 to OR4-06, trade supplements 1 to 4: £40,989–£48,497

Corporal is the first NCO rank above Lance Corporal. On the AFPRB pay scales in force from 1 April 2026, an OR-4 is paid £40,989 to £43,826 on trade supplement 1 and up to £48,497 on trade supplement 4. Those figures already include X-Factor, and reflect the 3.6% award the Government accepted in full on 9 June 2026, backdated to 1 April 2026.

Civil Service combined HEO/SEO median, 31 March 2026: £43,930 · Lowest to highest departmental HEO/SEO median, 31 March 2026: £38,020–£54,730

HEO covers deputy team leads, technical specialists and middle managers. Cabinet Office does not publish an HEO-only median: HEO and SEO are reported as one combined band, which stood at £43,930 across the Civil Service as at 31 March 2026 and ranged from £38,020 to £54,730 by department. Take-home below is calculated on 2026/27 tax rates.

Civil Service combined HEO/SEO median, 31 March 2026: £43,930 · Lowest to highest departmental HEO/SEO median, 31 March 2026: £38,020–£54,730

SEO is the delegated grade above HEO. Cabinet Office reports SEO and HEO as one combined band rather than separately: it stood at £43,930 across the Civil Service as at 31 March 2026, ranging from £38,020 to £54,730 by department.

OF1-03: £44,415 · range £35,925–£47,351

OF-1 covers both Second Lieutenant and Lieutenant, the first two commissioned ranks. Pay in 2026/27 runs from £35,925 at the first increment level, OF1-01, to £47,351 at the fifth, OF1-05. Figures include X-Factor and the 3.6% award accepted on 9 June 2026.

Median £44,534 · Lower quartile to group mean, ASHE 2025: £33,381–£47,720

ONS classifies newspaper and periodical journalists and reporters as SOC 2020 unit group 2492. Their full-time median was £44,534 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £33,381; ONS suppressed the upper quartile. The NCTJ's Journalists at Work 2024 survey, which includes freelance and part-time journalists, found a lower median of £35,275 for 2023.

Median £44,550 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £39,517–£49,959

Full-time social workers (SOC 2020 unit group 2461) had a median gross pay of £44,550 in ONS ASHE 2025, with the middle half of the occupation between £39,517 and £49,959. Most are employed by councils, where posts are graded onto the NJC local government pay spine and the Local Government Pension Scheme applies; each council sets its own grades, so there is no national social worker rate.

Grey Book Competent rate, from 1 July 2026: £44,742 · The two points of the role, development to competent: £42,892–£44,742

Crew Manager is the first role above Firefighter on the NJC Grey Book scale and has two pay points, not a run of increments: £42,892 at the development rate and £44,742 at the competent rate, from 1 July 2026. The rates come from circular NJC/2/26 dated 3 July 2026, which applied an agreed 3.8% rise that Fire Brigades Union members voted to accept by 54% on a 68% turnout. Both points fall in the same Firefighters Pension Scheme 2015 contribution band, 12.59%, so nothing about the pension changes as you move up the role.

Median £46,143 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £29,787–£61,139

Logistics and supply chain managers coordinate warehouse, transport, procurement and inventory. ONS classifies them as managers in logistics (SOC 2020 1243), whose full-time median was £46,143 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £36,461 and a quarter above £61,139.

Median £46,184 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £37,504–£57,670

ONS classifies chartered surveyors as SOC 2020 unit group 2454. Their full-time median was £46,184 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £37,504 and a quarter above £57,670. Chartered status comes from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS, and FRICS for fellows); ONS does not measure what it adds to pay.

Grey Book Competent A rate, from 1 July 2026: £46,980 · The three points of the role, development to competent B: £45,711–£50,034

Watch Manager has three points on the NJC Grey Book scale from 1 July 2026: £45,711 in development, £46,980 at competent A and £50,034 at competent B, set by circular NJC/2/26 dated 3 July 2026 after an agreed 3.8% rise that Fire Brigades Union members accepted by 54% on a 68% turnout. The role starts just above a pension band boundary, so all three points pay 14.09% into the Firefighters Pension Scheme 2015 rather than the 12.59% a Crew Manager pays.

Median £47,143 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £37,342–£55,262

The title "architect" is protected in the UK and requires registration with the Architects Registration Board. ONS classifies architects as SOC 2020 unit group 2451, whose full-time median was £47,143 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £37,342 and a quarter above £55,262. ONS does not split the group by region or by stage of qualification.

Basic pay, nodal point 2 (FY2): £47,610

F2 is the second and final foundation year. Basic pay in England is £47,610 at nodal point 2 for 2026 to 2027. That is a 7.1% rise on the £44,439 paid in 2025 to 2026, the largest increase anywhere on the resident doctor scale, because the negotiated nodal point reform loaded extra investment into the foundation years on top of the accepted 3.5% DDRB award.

OR6-04, supplement 1: £48,243 · OR6-01 to OR6-06, trade supplements 1 to 4: £46,022–£56,611

Sergeant is the senior NCO rank above Corporal. On the AFPRB pay scales in force from 1 April 2026, an OR-6 is paid £46,022 to £50,598 on trade supplement 1 and up to £56,611 on trade supplement 4, figures that already include X-Factor. They reflect the 3.6% award the Government accepted in full on 9 June 2026, backdated to 1 April 2026.

Median £49,850 · ASHE 2025, 10th percentile to group mean: £30,317–£63,605

The CTA is the senior tax qualification, administered by the Chartered Institute of Taxation. ONS classifies the work as taxation experts (SOC 2020 2423), whose full-time median was £49,850 in ASHE 2025. ONS suppressed the 75th percentile and above for this group as not statistically robust, but the mean of £63,605 sits £13,755 above the median, which is the signature of a long upper tail.

Median £50,062 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £38,696–£68,056

ONS classifies chartered and certified accountants as SOC 2020 unit group 2421. Their full-time median was £50,062 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £38,696 and a quarter above £68,056. ONS does not split the group by employer, qualification body or years since qualifying.

Median £50,083 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £37,854–£67,255

Financial services compliance officers monitor a firm's obligations to the FCA and PRA across banking, asset management, fintech and insurance. ONS has no unit group for the job alone: it sits in quality assurance and regulatory professionals (SOC 2020 2482), whose full-time median was £50,083 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £37,854 and a quarter above £67,255.

Median £50,330 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £36,872–£70,665

ONS does not measure IFAs on their own. They sit in finance and investment analysts and advisers (SOC 2020 2422), whose full-time median was £50,330 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £36,872 and a quarter above £70,665. ASHE counts employees only, so self-employed advisers running their own practice are not in these figures.

Median £50,330 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £36,872–£70,665

Financial analysts earn a full-time median of £50,330 (ONS ASHE 2025, SOC 2020 2422), with the middle half between £36,872 and £70,665. The median sits almost exactly on the £50,270 higher-rate threshold: with no pension contribution only £60 of it is taxed at 40%, and any pension contribution of that much or more removes it.

ASHE 2025 full-time median for the whole of SOC 2422, Finance and investment analysts and advisers: £50,330 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £36,872–£70,665

Paraplanners are the technical research and report-writing support behind financial advisers. No official series measures paraplanners alone: the ONS coding index puts them in SOC 2020 2422, finance and investment analysts and advisers, whose full-time median was £50,330 in ASHE 2025. Reed's average across 1,164 advertised paraplanner jobs was £43,312 when checked in September 2026, with a range of £39,076 to £49,137.

U2, the middle point of the upper pay range: £50,956 · U1 to U3, the upper pay range outside London: £49,134–£52,835

Teachers who pass the performance threshold move to the upper pay range, U1 to U3. Outside London that is £49,134 to £52,835 under the 2026 award, in force from 1 September 2026. These are classroom teachers without a leadership post, though many hold a Teaching and Learning Responsibility payment on top of the scale point.

Median £51,030 · NHS Agenda for Change Band 7, entry to top (ONS publishes no quartiles for SOC 2252): £49,387–£56,515

UK optometrists are registered with the General Optical Council. ONS ASHE 2025 puts the full-time median for optometrists (SOC 2020 2252) at £51,030, across high-street and hospital employers; ONS suppressed the quartiles for the group as not statistically robust. Hospital optometrists employed by the NHS are paid on Agenda for Change, where Band 7 runs £49,387 to £56,515 in 2026/27.

Median £51,058 · ASHE 2025, 40th to 60th percentile (quartiles suppressed): £49,545–£52,164

To practise as a veterinary surgeon in the UK you must be registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. ONS classifies vets as SOC 2020 unit group 2240, whose full-time median was £51,058 in ASHE 2025. The occupation is small enough that ONS suppressed both quartiles; the nearest published points either side of the median are the 40th percentile, £49,545, and the 60th, £52,164.

Median £51,110 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £39,125–£62,237

ONS put the full-time median for professional mechanical engineers (SOC 2020 2122) at £51,110 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £39,125 and a quarter above £62,237. The median sits just above the £50,270 higher-rate threshold, so a small workplace pension contribution is enough to bring it back inside the basic rate band.

Median £51,366 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £39,802–£65,000

ONS classifies civil engineers as SOC 2020 unit group 2121. Their full-time median was £51,366 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £39,802 and a quarter above £65,000. Chartership runs through an institution licensed by the Engineering Council, such as ICE or IStructE. ONS does not measure what registration adds to pay.

Agenda for Change Band 7 intermediate point: £51,932 · The three points of Band 7, entry to top: £49,387–£56,515

Band 7 covers senior clinical roles — Advanced Nurse Practitioners, ward sisters, team leads, clinical educators. Pay range £49,387–£56,515 (Agenda for Change 2026/27).

Agenda for Change Band 7 intermediate point: £51,932 · The three points of Band 7, entry to top: £49,387–£56,515

This page models a specialist or advanced paramedic post banded at NHS Band 7. NHS Health Careers describes specialist, advanced (for example critical care) and consultant paramedic roles as progression open after two years as a registered paramedic, paid on Agenda for Change typically starting at Band 6, so the band depends on the post: check the advert. Band 7 base pay for 2026/27 runs £49,387 at entry, £51,932 at the intermediate point and £56,515 at the top, with the Section 2 unsocial hours enhancement paid on top on operational rotas.

Agenda for Change Band 7 intermediate point: £51,932 · Band 7 entry to the top of Band 8c, the span this route covers: £49,387–£91,609

UK Clinical Psychologists qualify through a three-year NHS-funded Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and enter at NHS Band 7, £49,387 to £56,515 for 2026/27. From there the route runs to Band 8a, £57,528 to £64,750, and to consultant posts at Band 8b and 8c, £66,582 to £91,609. The scales took effect on 1 April 2026 after the 3.3% award.

Median £52,537 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £41,465–£67,203

ONS classifies quantity surveyors as SOC 2020 unit group 2453. Their full-time median was £52,537 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £41,465 and a quarter above £67,203. ONS does not split the group by chartered (MRICS) status or sector, and did not publish a reliable 90th percentile.

Median £52,835 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £42,062–£66,191

ONS classifies university lecturers with other higher education teaching professionals, SOC 2020 unit group 2311. Their full-time median was £52,835 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £42,062 and a quarter above £66,191. Members of the USS pension scheme have paid 6.1% of salary since 1 January 2024.

Median £53,295 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £40,202–£70,977

ONS codes business analysts to SOC 2020 unit group 2431, management consultants and business analysts, whose full-time median was £53,295 in ASHE 2025, with the middle half between £40,202 and £70,977. IT business analysts are coded to 2133, with a median of £60,288. The 2431 median is £3,025 above the higher-rate threshold with no pension contribution.

Median £53,295 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 90th percentile: £40,202–£93,362

Management consultants and business analysts had a full-time median of £53,295 (ONS ASHE 2025), with a very wide spread - a 90th percentile of £93,362 - and LLP partners outside the survey altogether. Most consultants sit above the £50,270 higher-rate threshold, and senior pay hits the 60% personal-allowance-taper band.

Median £53,342 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £36,160–£74,372

Actuaries qualify through the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries over several years of exams. ONS groups them with economists and statisticians (SOC 2020 2433), whose full-time median was £53,342 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £41,906 and a quarter above £74,372.

Leadership pay range minimum, outside London: £53,586 · Statutory leadership pay range, outside London: £53,586–£148,829

Deputy heads are paid on the leadership group pay range. The accepted 2026 award sets that range at £53,586 to £148,829 outside London and £63,709 to £158,863 in inner London, and the governing body sets an individual pay range for each post inside that span. Where a post sits depends on school size, headteacher group and the governing body's own pay policy.

Median £53,703 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £39,645–£69,510

ONS classifies marketing managers with commercial managers as SOC 2020 unit group 2432, "Marketing and commercial managers". The group's full-time median was £53,703 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £39,645 and a quarter above £69,510. ONS does not split it by sector or seniority.

Median £53,772 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £44,891–£62,344

ONS classifies pharmacists as SOC 2020 unit group 2251, whose full-time median was £53,772 in ASHE 2025, hospital and community together, with a quarter of the group below £44,891 and a quarter above £62,344. NHS hospital pharmacists are paid on Agenda for Change; Band 7 runs £49,387 to £56,515 in England for 2026/27. Community pharmacy employers set their own pay.

Pay point 3, 1 September 2025 scale: £54,660 · Pay points 2 to 4, 1 September 2025 scale: £53,568–£56,208

Sergeant is the first supervisory rank above Constable. Pay in England and Wales runs across three pay points, £53,568 to £56,208, on the scale awaiting the determination that implements the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026. The Home Secretary awarded 3.5% from 1 September 2026 - below the 3.9% the Police Remuneration Review Body recommended - and the revised pay points are not published yet.

OR7-06, supplement 1: £54,845 · range £51,615–£65,249

Staff Sergeant is OR-7, known as Colour Sergeant in the infantry and equivalent to an RAF Chief Technician and a Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer. Pay in 2026/27 runs from £51,615 to £65,249 across twelve increment levels and four trade supplements, including X-Factor and the 3.6% award accepted on 9 June 2026.

Basic pay, nodal points 3a and 3b (ST1 and ST2): £55,355

ST1-2 is the first two years of specialty training after foundation. Basic pay in England is £55,355 for 2026 to 2027, the same at nodal points 3a and 3b, so ST1 and ST2 are paid alike on basic. Rota supplements for nights, weekends and on-call are paid on top.

Median £56,438 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £33,208–£97,048

ONS codes engineering managers in software to IT managers (SOC 2020 2132), whose full-time median was £56,438 in ASHE 2025. The group runs from £33,208 at the 10th percentile to £97,048 at the 90th, which is wide enough to hold both a first-time manager and a director of engineering.

Median £56,438 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £33,208–£97,048

The ONS coding index codes a product manager in computer services, and an AI product manager, to SOC 2020 unit group 2132, IT managers, within a sub-unit group for IT product managers. ASHE 2025 publishes pay for the whole unit group: a full-time median of £56,438, ranging from £33,208 at the 10th percentile to £97,048 at the 90th. A product manager outside software is coded by industry instead - to sales account managers when no industry is given.

Median £56,689 · ASHE 2025, 25th percentile to median (upper quartile suppressed): £39,461–£56,689

ONS codes a mortgage broker to SOC 2020 unit group 3531, "Brokers", alongside insurance and other brokers; the ONS coding index puts the title "mortgage adviser" in 2422 instead. The full-time median for 3531 was £56,689 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £39,461. ASHE measures pay actually received, so commission earned is included, and it surveys employees only, not self-employed brokers.

Median £56,914 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £42,289–£75,794

ONS does not split software developers by seniority, so a mid-level engineer is best read against the middle of the group. For programmers and software development professionals (SOC 2020 2134) the full-time median was £56,914 in ASHE 2025, with a lower quartile of £42,289 and an upper quartile of £75,794. The median is above the £50,270 higher-rate threshold.

Median £56,914 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £32,835–£102,860

The ONS coding index puts a web developer in "Programmers and software development professionals" (SOC 2020 2134), whose full-time median was £56,914 in ASHE 2025. The group is wide: £32,835 at the 10th percentile, £42,289 at the lower quartile, £75,794 at the upper quartile and £102,860 at the 90th.

Median £57,529 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 75th percentile: £32,714–£78,677

ONS put the full-time median for human resource managers and directors (SOC 2020 1136) at £57,529 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter below £43,676 and a quarter above £78,677. ONS does not split the group by CIPD qualification level, so no official figure measures what a CIPD qualification adds.

Median £57,625 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £32,651–£106,958

ONS groups account executives with sales accounts and business development managers (SOC 2020 3556), whose full-time median was £57,625 in ASHE 2025. The upper tail is long for a sales occupation, as you would expect where commission is a large part of pay: £79,598 at the upper quartile and £106,958 at the 90th percentile.

OF2-05: £59,784 · OF2-01 to OF2-08: £54,716–£64,852

Flight Lieutenant is the senior junior-officer rank in the RAF, equivalent to Captain in the Army and Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. On the AFPRB officer pay scale in force from 1 April 2026, an OF-2 is paid £54,716 at level 1 rising to £64,852 at level 8, figures that already include X-Factor. They reflect the 3.6% award the Government accepted in full on 9 June 2026, backdated to 1 April 2026.

Median £59,834 · ASHE 2025, 10th to 90th percentile: £35,097–£98,923

ONS put the full-time median for business and financial project management professionals (SOC 2020 2440) at £59,834 in ASHE 2025, from £35,097 at the 10th percentile to £98,923 at the 90th. ONS does not split the group by chartered status, so no official figure measures what Chartered Project Professional status adds.

Median £60,303 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £43,003–£73,899

ONS classifies electrical engineers as SOC 2020 unit group 2123. Their full-time median was £60,303 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £43,003 and a quarter above £73,899. Professional registration as IEng or CEng runs through an institution licensed by the Engineering Council, such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Agenda for Change Band 8a intermediate point: £60,417 · The three points of Band 8a, entry to top: £57,528–£64,750

Band 8a covers service managers, matrons, senior AHPs and clinical leads with budget and people responsibility. Pay £57,528–£64,750 (2026/27 AfC).

Agenda for Change Band 8a intermediate point: £60,417 · The three points of Band 8a, entry to top: £57,528–£64,750

Advanced Nurse Practitioners assess, diagnose and treat patients within their scope of practice, and can qualify as independent prescribers. Each NHS post is banded through Agenda for Change job evaluation, so there is no single ANP band; this page works through Band 8a, £57,528-£64,750 for 2026/27. For comparison, ONS put the full-time median for nurse practitioners (SOC 2020 2234) at £46,069 in ASHE 2025, with the upper quartile at £53,210, below the Band 8a entry point.

Agenda for Change Band 8a intermediate point: £60,417 · The three points of Band 8a, entry to top: £57,528–£64,750

Consultant Paramedics are the most senior clinical paramedic role, leading advanced practice teams, research and workforce development. Each NHS post is banded through Agenda for Change job evaluation, so the band can differ between employers; this page works through Band 8a, which for 2026/27 runs £57,528 at entry, £60,417 at the intermediate point and £64,750 at the top.

Pay point 1, 1 September 2025 scale: £65,505 · Pay points 0 to 3, 1 September 2025 scale: £63,768–£68,982

Inspector is the senior shift-commander rank above Sergeant. Pay in England and Wales runs across four pay points, £63,768 to £68,982, on the scale awaiting the determination that implements the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026. The Home Secretary awarded 3.5% from 1 September 2026 - below the 3.9% the Police Remuneration Review Body recommended - and the revised pay points are not published yet. London forces have a separate, higher Inspector scale.

OR9-04, supplement 1: £65,802 · range £64,704–£68,982

Warrant Officer Class 1 is OR-9, the most senior non-commissioned rank, held as Regimental Sergeant Major and equivalent appointments. Pay in 2026/27 runs from £64,704 to £68,982 across six increment levels, a narrower band than any rank below it. Figures include X-Factor and the 3.6% award accepted on 9 June 2026.

Civil Service combined Grade 6/7 median, 31 March 2026: £65,830 · Lowest to highest departmental Grade 6/7 median, 31 March 2026: £58,300–£89,790

Grade 7 is the first genuinely senior policy grade - branch head, team lead, senior analyst. Cabinet Office reports Grade 6 and Grade 7 as one combined band: it stood at £65,830 across the Civil Service as at 31 March 2026, ranging from £58,300 to £89,790 by department. Grade 7 sits in the lower part of that band.

Civil Service combined Grade 6/7 median, 31 March 2026: £65,830 · Lowest to highest departmental Grade 6/7 median, 31 March 2026: £58,300–£89,790

Grade 6 is the most senior delegated grade below the Senior Civil Service. Cabinet Office reports Grade 6 and Grade 7 as one combined band: it stood at £65,830 across the Civil Service as at 31 March 2026, ranging from £58,300 to £89,790 by department. Grade 6 sits in the upper part of that band.

Basic pay, nodal points 4b and 4c (ST4 and ST5): £67,998 · Basic pay, nodal points 4a to 4c (ST3 to ST5): £67,325–£67,998

ST3-5 covers mid-specialty training, typically registrar grade. Basic pay in England for 2026 to 2027 is £67,325 at ST3 (nodal point 4a) and £67,998 at ST4 and ST5 (4b and 4c). Rota supplements are paid on top of basic.

Agenda for Change Band 8b intermediate point: £70,896 · The three points of Band 8b, entry to top: £66,582–£77,368

Band 8b covers directorate-level managers, senior consultant AHPs and assistant directors. Pay for 2026/27 runs £66,582 at entry, £70,896 at the intermediate point and £77,368 at the top.

Pay point 2: £71,715 · Pay points 1 to 3, 1 September 2025 scale: £70,344–£73,149

Chief Inspector is the rank above Inspector and the last of the federated ranks below superintending level. Pay in England and Wales runs across three pay points, £70,344 to £73,149, on the scale awaiting the determination that implements the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026. The Home Secretary awarded 3.5% from 1 September 2026 - below the 3.9% the Police Remuneration Review Body recommended - and the revised pay points are not published yet.

Median £72,192 · Group 1 minimum to Group 8 maximum, rest of England: £60,619–£148,829

Headteacher pay is set by the school's headteacher group, which STPCD assigns from its total unit score rather than from pupil numbers alone. Under the accepted 2026 award the rest-of-England ranges run from £60,619 to £80,652 for Group 1 up to £104,059 to £148,829 for Group 8, with higher ranges in the fringe area and the two London areas.

ASHE 2025 median, all functional managers and directors (group 113): £75,264 · ASHE 2025 group 113, 10th to 75th percentile: £37,223–£110,752

There is no published median for charity chief executive pay. ONS suppresses ASHE entirely for charitable organisation managers and directors (SOC 2020 1135) - no median, no mean, no percentiles - so the figures here are for the wider minor group it belongs to, functional managers and directors, whose full-time median was £75,264 in ASHE 2025. That group also contains corporate finance, HR and marketing directors, so read it as context rather than as a charity figure. For an actual number, charity accounts are the place to look.

OF3-05: £75,292 · OF3-01 to OF3-08, the increments open to an Army Major: £68,624–£81,960

Major is OF-3 on the NATO scale, equivalent to an RAF Squadron Leader and a Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander. Pay in 2026/27 runs from £68,624 to £81,960 across eight increment levels. The published OF-3 scale carries five further increments to £90,371, but the pay tables reserve those for RAF Engineer Officers by selection, so no Army Major reaches them. Figures include X-Factor and the 3.6% award accepted on 9 June 2026.

OF3-05: £75,292 · OF3-01 to OF3-08 for most; OF3-09 to OF3-13 are RAF Engineer only: £68,624–£90,371

Squadron Leader is OF-3 on the Armed Forces pay tables, the same rank level as an Army Major and a Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander and paid the same money. In 2026/27 the scale runs £68,624 to £81,960 over eight increments, then continues to £90,371 over five more that the tables reserve for RAF Engineer Officers by selection. The figures include X-Factor and carry the 3.6% award the Government accepted in full on 9 June 2026, backdated to 1 April 2026.

ASHE 2025 upper quartile, SOC 2134: £75,794 · ASHE 2025, median to 90th percentile: £56,914–£102,860

ONS does not split software developers by seniority, so a senior engineer is described by the upper part of the group. For programmers and software development professionals (SOC 2020 2134) the upper quartile was £75,794 in ASHE 2025 and the 90th percentile £102,860, against a group median of £56,914 that includes engineers at every level of experience. The upper quartile is well into the 40% band.

Median £76,327 · ASHE 2025, 25th to 75th percentile: £68,924–£83,129

ONS classifies train and tram drivers as SOC 2020 unit group 8231. Their full-time median was £76,327 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter of the group below £68,924 and a quarter above £83,129. Driver pay is agreed company by company with ASLEF rather than set on one national scale, and ONS did not publish a reliable 90th percentile.

Basic pay, nodal points 5b and 5c (ST7 and ST8): £77,348 · Basic pay, nodal points 5a to 5c (ST6 to ST8): £76,582–£77,348

ST6-8 covers the final years of specialty training, senior registrar grade in many specialties. Basic pay in England for 2026 to 2027 is £76,582 at ST6 (nodal point 5a) and £77,348 at ST7 and ST8 (5b and 5c). Rota supplements are paid on top.

ASHE 2025 upper quartile, SOC 2412: £77,509 · ASHE 2025, median to 80th percentile: £56,977–£84,961

ONS measures solicitors and lawyers as one occupation (SOC 2020 2412) without splitting by post-qualification experience. A senior solicitor sits in the upper part of it: the 75th percentile was £77,509 in ASHE 2025 and the 80th £84,961, against a group median of £56,977 covering every level of call. ONS suppressed the 90th percentile for this group as not robust.

Salaried GP contract range minimum, England 2026/27: £78,699 · Salaried GP contract range, England 2026/27: £78,699–£118,759

DDRB salaried GP pay range for 2026/27 in England rose to £78,699-£118,759 after the DDRB 54th Report 3.5% uplift (up from £76,038-£114,743 in 2025/26). Salaried GPs (employed by GP partners or PCNs) sit between newly qualified at the bottom of the range and senior or extended-hours GPs at the top.

Salaried GP contract range minimum, England 2026/27 - no locum pay series exists: £78,699 · Salaried GP contract range, England 2026/27: £78,699–£118,759

Locum GPs are self-employed, filling sessions at practices and PCNs ad hoc. No official statistic measures what they earn: NHS England publishes GP earnings for contractor and salaried GPs only, and ONS surveys employee jobs, so locums fall outside both. The nearest published anchor is the salaried GP contract range for 2026/27, £78,699 to £118,759, against which sessional rates are negotiated - there is no nationally fixed locum rate.

Band 9 maximum: £80,864 · Band 9 minimum to maximum, national: £73,513–£80,864

Deputy Governor sits at Band 9 in the HMPPS structure, below Governor at Bands 10 and 11 and above Head of Function. Base pay runs from £73,513 to £80,864, and with the 20% required hours addition the range becomes £88,216 to £97,037. The 3.5% PSPRB award was accepted in full on 26 March 2026 and backdated to 1 April.

Specialty doctor pay point for 6 to 8 years (MC75-07 to MC75-09): £81,804 · Specialty doctor 2021 contract, lowest to highest pay point: £63,696–£102,689

Specialty doctor is one of the two SAS grades still open to new entrants after the 2021 reform. Basic pay in England runs from £63,696 to £102,689 across five distinct pay points, with a pay threshold between the eighth and ninth year. The scale carries the 3.5% DDRB award accepted on 25 March 2026 and effective from 1 April.

Median £82,746 · ASHE 2025, 25th percentile to median (upper percentiles suppressed): £61,511–£82,746

ONS classifies aircraft pilots together with air traffic controllers as SOC 2020 unit group 3511. The group's full-time median was £82,746 in ASHE 2025, with a quarter earning under £61,511. ONS did not publish a reliable upper quartile, 90th percentile or mean, so no official figure describes the top of the profession. Pay is set airline by airline rather than on a national scale.

Average taxable income, self-employed dentists, England 2024/25: £83,000

Most NHS dentists are self-employed, working as associates or providing-performers under NHS dental contracts rather than on a salary. NHS England's Dental Earnings and Expenses Estimates put average taxable income for self-employed dentists in England at £83,000 in 2024/25, up 6.1% on the £78,200 recorded for 2023/24. That figure covers both NHS and private work. ONS suppresses ASHE entirely for dental practitioners, so this is the only published measure of what the profession earns.

Agenda for Change Band 8c intermediate point: £84,346 · The three points of Band 8c, entry to top: £79,504–£91,609

Band 8c covers senior service managers and deputy chief AHPs. Pay for 2026/27 runs £79,504 at entry, £84,346 at the intermediate point and £91,609 at the top.

Pay point 2: £88,449 · Pay points 1 to 4, 1 September 2025 scale: £84,177–£99,015

Superintendent is the first of the superintending ranks, above Chief Inspector and below Chief Superintendent. Pay in England and Wales runs across four pay points, £84,177 to £99,015, on the scale awaiting the determination that implements the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026. The Home Secretary awarded 3.5% from 1 September 2026, below the 3.9% recommended, and the revised pay points are not published yet.

Band 10 maximum: £89,472 · Band 10 minimum to Band 11 maximum, national: £81,338–£100,694

Governing governors sit on Fair and Sustainable Bands 10 and 11: £81,338 to £89,472 at Band 10 and £91,540 to £100,694 at Band 11 from 1 April 2026, with a 20% Required Hours Addition on top where it applies. Below them, Band 9 deputy governors are on £73,513 to £80,864 and Band 8 deputy governors and heads of function on £57,398 to £63,139. Above them, a Prison Group Director (Band 12) is on a £125,902 spot rate.

Agenda for Change Band 8d intermediate point: £100,140 · The three points of Band 8d, entry to top: £94,356–£108,814

Band 8d covers deputy directors, lead consultants and head-of-department roles. Pay for 2026/27 runs £94,356 at entry, £100,140 at the intermediate point and £108,814 at the top, with the whole band inside the 12.5% pension tier.

OF4-05: £103,328 · range £95,850–£110,806

Lieutenant Colonel is OF-4, equivalent to an RAF Wing Commander and a Royal Navy Commander, and typically a battalion or regiment commanding officer. Pay in 2026/27 runs from £95,850 to £110,806 across eight increment levels. Figures include X-Factor and the 3.6% award accepted on 9 June 2026.

Pay point 2: £107,226 · Pay points 1 to 3, 1 September 2025 scale: £103,797–£115,785

Chief Superintendent is the most senior rank covered by the Police Remuneration Review Body; everything above it is set by the Senior Salaries Review Body. Pay runs across three pay points, £103,797 to £115,785, on the scale awaiting the determination that implements the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026. The Home Secretary awarded 3.5% from 1 September 2026, below the 3.9% recommended, and the revised pay points are not published yet.

Specialist grade pay point for 3 to 5 years (MC70-04 to MC70-06): £108,484 · Specialist grade 2021 contract, lowest to highest pay point: £104,401–£115,341

Specialist is the senior SAS grade, created by the 2021 reform alongside the specialty doctor. Basic pay in England runs from £104,401 to £115,341 across three pay points reached at 0, 3 and 6 years in the grade. The scale carries the 3.5% DDRB award effective 1 April 2026.

Agenda for Change Band 9 intermediate point: £119,583 · The three points of Band 9, entry to top: £112,782–£129,783

Band 9 covers executive directors, chief AHPs and clinical executives. Pay for 2026/27 runs £112,782 at entry, £119,583 at the intermediate point and £129,783 at the top. Two of those three points are inside the personal allowance taper once the pension contribution is taken off, and none reaches the £125,140 additional-rate threshold.

OF5-05: £121,577 · range £115,881–£127,272

Colonel is OF-5, equivalent to an RAF Group Captain and a Royal Navy Captain. Pay in 2026/27 runs from £115,881 to £127,272 across eight increment levels. Figures include X-Factor and the 3.6% award accepted on 9 June 2026. This is the rank at which the personal allowance is largely, and at the top entirely, tapered away.

Average income, all GPs, England 2024/25: £121,700 · Salaried to contractor GP average, England 2024/25: £74,800–£164,200

GP income splits sharply by contract type. NHS England, using HMRC Self Assessment records for 2024/25, put average income before tax at £164,200 for contractor GPs (partners), £74,800 for salaried GPs and £121,700 across both. Those are averages including part-time working, not medians and not a pay scale. The salaried GP contract range from 1 April 2026 is separately set at £78,699 to £118,759.

Consultant basic pay, threshold 2b (4 to 7 years): £123,672 · Consultant 2003 contract, threshold 1 to threshold 4: £113,565–£150,569

Consultant is the senior career grade after CCT. Basic pay in England under the 2003 contract runs from £113,565 at appointment to £150,569 at the top, across five thresholds reached over 14 years as a consultant. The scale carries the 3.5% DDRB award accepted from 1 April 2026.

OF6-04: £140,640 · range £137,874–£143,406

Brigadier is OF-6, equivalent to an RAF Air Commodore and a Royal Navy Commodore, and the first rank above Colonel. Pay in 2026/27 runs from £137,874 to £143,406 across six increment levels. Figures include X-Factor and the 3.6% award accepted on 9 June 2026.

Judicial salary group 7, effective 1 April 2026: £144,350

District Judges hear civil and family work in the County Court, on salary group 7 of the judicial schedule: £144,350 from 1 April 2026, a 3.5% uplift on the £139,469 paid the year before. The pension is the part that catches people out. The Judicial Pension Scheme 2022 is tax-unregistered, so the 4.26% contribution comes out of already-taxed pay instead of reducing the tax bill.

Judicial salary group 7, effective 1 April 2026: £144,350

A salaried Employment Judge decides disputes between workers and employers in the Employment Tribunals, on salary group 7 of the judicial schedule: £144,350 from 1 April 2026. One line in the schedule covers England and Wales and Scotland together, so residence rather than jurisdiction is what changes take-home. Northern Ireland is a separate office, still shown at £139,469 pending its own pay decision.

Judicial salary group 5.2, effective 1 April 2026: £179,939

Circuit Judges are appointed to one of the six circuits of England and Wales and sit in the Crown Court and the County Court, on salary group 5.2: £179,939 from 1 April 2026. That is £35,589 more than a District Judge on group 7, but only about £17,346 of it survives to the bank account: every pound of the increase is taxed at the additional rate, National Insurance takes 2% on top, and the judicial pension takes 4.26% of it with no tax relief.