MINIMUM AND AVERAGE SALARY IN THE UK

The UK has one of the highest wage levels in Europe. The country has a fair social security system, a dynamic economy and a stable labour market. Incomes of Britons are growing even despite the changes associated with the procedure of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.

The economic leader of this island nation, England, is particularly popular among labour migrants from around the world. In particular, work in London provides an average income of 3,000-4,000 pounds per month (about 3,565-4,750 euros). Of course, we are talking about qualified specialists.

Salary in United Kingdom

The population of the UK in 2024 exceeds 67 million people. According to the British National Statistics Office, the employment rate among 16 to 64 year olds is 75.7%, which means that about 33 million are officially employed. Unemployment is only 4.2% (1.36 million people).

Next, let's find out what the minimum and average wages in England in 2024 are, compare the figures by individual occupation and outline the income tax rates.

Minimum wage in England

According to the official information of the British government portal GOV.UK, at the national level, the minimum wage in the UK is revised annually as of 1 April. The amount of hourly rates depends on the age of the specialist. In addition, a separate category includes trainees who combine study and work in England. For example, it can be students of British universities aged 19 years and older in the first year of internship in a local company.

MINIMUM WAGE IN THE UK IN 2024

Age Pounds per hour
21 and over (living wage) 11.44
18-20 8.60
16-17 6.40
Trainee 6.40

Note that compared to 2023, the minimum wage rate in England for people over 21 years old increased by £1.02 – from £10.42 to £11.44, and since 2010 the increase has been £5.51. A few years ago, local experts calculated that British citizens' wages should be at least £8.45 an hour to meet their daily needs. And the government aimed to raise the minimum hourly rate in the UK to £9 by 2020. The target wasn't reached until 2022.

According to British law, the working week in the country cannot exceed 48 hours, with a salary level of at least £500. In the case of a standard employment of 40 hours per week, the income will be 457.6 pounds. Thus, the monthly minimum wage in England in 2024 is £1,980, equivalent to €2,310. Overall, around 1.4 million people in the UK earn a minimum level income.

Important. Every British employee can check whether the employer pays the minimum wage using a special online calculator.

Average salary in United Kingdom (England)

According to the UK's Office for National Statistics, including bonuses, the average salary in England in 2024 is £623 per week, £2,700per month and £32,396per year, which in euro terms equates to £725, £3,150 and £37,820 respectively. The figures exclude tax and other compulsory deductions. The level of average pay for UK workers depends largely on age, gender, occupation, experience, qualifications, company and city.

Construction, manufacturing, engineering and hospitality are considered the most promising sectors of the UK economy where salaries are predicted to rise in 2024. Men in England earn on average 17% more than women.

According to statistics from international recruitment agency Monster, depending on seniority, the annual salary in England in 2024 ranges from £20,416 (up to 1 year's experience) to £39,130 (over 20 years' experience). In companies with up to 10 employees, the average income is £25,072 per annum, while those with more than 50,000 employees earn £40,851. The highest salaries in England are recorded in London, Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester and Birmingham, and the lowest in Wigan and Mansfield.

Salaries in England by sector (£ per annum)

  • Financial Services – 35,800

  • Information Technology – 35,176

  • Construction – 30,998

  • Manufacturing – 29,797

  • Retail – 26,587

  • Education – 25,101

SALARIES IN ENGLAND BY OCCUPATION*

OCCUPATION £ PER YEAR
Brokers 133,677
Executives and senior managers 107,703
Air transport pilots 90,146
Lawyers 73,425
Doctors 69,463
Tax experts 46,551
Realtors 44,423
Architects 43,029
Mechanical Engineers 41,389
Programmers 40,748
Dentists 40,268
Civil engineers 40,200
Teachers 40,054
Police Officers (Sergeant and below) 38,720
Accountants 38,692
Teachers 32,524
Electricians 30,345
Midwives 29,529
Social workers 28,745
Nurses 26,252
Carpenters, joiners 24,817
Cooks 17,513
Janitors 17,402
Hairdressers 10,019
Waiters 7,554

Note. *Average wages in England by occupation are based on a survey of 21,563,000 British workers conducted by the UK's Office for National Statistics.

UK SALARIES BY CITY

City Pounds per month
London 3,000-4,000
Edinburgh 2,685
Bristol 2,570
Cardiff 2,520
Reading 2,495
Coventry 2,455
Brighton 2,430
Leeds 2,415
Glasgow 2,405
Portsmouth 2,380

Taxes on salaries in England

England has a progressive income tax scale ranging from 0 to 45%. Similar to the minimum wage, the rates are reviewed each year on 1 April. The amount of income that is not subject to tax is £12,570 per year. This does not apply to annual earnings in excess of £123,000.

Income tax in England (UK) in 2024

Annual earnings (£) Rate of tax (%)
Up to 12,570 0
From 12,571 to 50,270 20
From 50,271 to 125,139 40
Over 125,139 45

England has an effective system of social benefits and allowances to partially offset the tax paid on wages and salaries.

HIGHEST PAID OCCUPATIONS IN THE UK

    • Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)

    • Doctors

    • Lawyers

    • Actuaries

    • Airline commercial pilots

    • Bankers, financiers

    • Programmers

    • Business analysts

    • Engineers

    • Brokers

TOP 10 COMPANIES WITH THE HIGHEST SALARIES IN THE UK (POUNDS PER ANNUM)

    • Citadel – financial services (£121,590)

    • Contino – business management consultancy (£108,128)

    • White & Case – international law firm (£102,115)

    • G-Research – quantitative financial research (£101,066)

    • Google Cloud – cloud computing services (£99,677)

    • Palantir Technologies – software company (£98,095)

    • Squarepoint Capital – investment services (£96,933)

    • Bank of America Merill Lynch – banking services (£94,393)

    • MongoDB – data platform for developers (£93,993)

    • Pegasystems – software development company (£93,844)

Cost of living in the UK

Compared to most countries in Europe, living in the UK is quite expensive. This applies to both food prices and property costs. The most expensive British cities to live in are London, Bristol and Brighton.

The main costs in the UK are:
  • Rent: £1,000-1,100 per month for a one-bedroom flat in the centre.

  • Utility bills: £200-300 per month.

  • Food: £200-300 per month per person.

  • Transport: £60-70 per month by public transport or £150-250 per month by car.

  • Internet/mobile phone: £40-50 per month.

  • Clothing and leisure activities: £500-700 per month.

Frequently asked questions about salaries in the United Kingdom (England):

  1. What is the average salary in England?

    • Before tax, the average salary in England in 2024 is £2,700 per month.

  2. What is the minimum wage in the UK?

    • The official minimum wage in the UK is £11.44 per hour.

  3. What is the highest earning job in the UK?

    • The highest paid occupations in the UK are chief executives of large companies, doctors and lawyers.

  4. Which job pays the lowest income in the UK?

    • Representatives of unskilled labour – cleaners, waiters, cook's assistants, loaders, shop assistants, maids and so on - earn the least in the UK.

  5. What is the average salary of programmers in the UK?

    • The average income of programmers in the UK is estimated at £35,000-45,000 per year.

  6. What is the payroll tax in England?

    • The rate of income tax in England depends on annual income and ranges from 0% (income up to £12,570) to 45% (income over £125,139).

  7. What is the salary in London?

    • The average salary in London in 2024 is around £4,000 per month.

In conclusion, the unemployment rate in the UK is about 4-5% and the income tax rate in 2024 ranges from 0 to 45%.

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