What is the difference between mean and median earnings?

The mean divides total earnings by the number of people or jobs in the defined group. The median is the middle observation when earnings are ordered. A small number of very large salaries can move the mean substantially. Neither measure says what a particular person should earn or what their household can afford.

Can I compare my monthly net salary with an ONS annual earnings figure?

Only after matching definitions. A published gross figure is before deductions; your bank deposit is usually net pay. Check annual versus weekly or hourly pay, full-time versus part-time work, employee jobs versus people, location, reference period and whether bonuses or overtime are included. Convert the same gross amount using your own tax and pension assumptions.

Does living in a city change the PAYE tax rate?

A city does not set a separate employment Income Tax rate. Scottish taxpayer status has its own rules and devolved rates, but is not determined just by the employer address. Local housing, transport, council charges and other living costs affect a household budget separately from the salary-tax calculation.

Are the salaries in the table actual averages by age or occupation?

No. They are chosen round-number scenarios to explain the gross-to-net comparison. They are not an ONS dataset, percentile ranking, age-group average or a current occupation pay survey. Use a source with the relevant population and period before drawing those conclusions.

Earnings context and 2026/27 tax estimates

Average salary UK: compare the right numbers

An average salary is useful only when you know what was measured. Separate the published earnings statistic from the tax calculation, then compare your actual job offer on the same basis.

AfterTaxUK Editorial Team · Methodology review: 26 October 2026

A data-date check comes first

The tax year on this site does not turn an older earnings survey into 2026/27 statistics. We have removed unsupported current-year medians and age/city tables. Use the original ONS release below for its publication date, reference period, revisions and definitions; the calculator examples here are deliberately illustrative.

Choose the earnings measure that answers your question

Mean versus median

Use the median to describe the middle observation in a defined group; use the mean when the total divided by the group size is the relevant question. Neither is a personal salary entitlement.

Annual versus hourly

Annual earnings reflect both pay rates and the amount of paid work. Hourly comparisons can help when contracted hours differ, but still check overtime, bonus and reference-period definitions.

Full-time versus part-time

A full-time annual figure should not be compared directly with a part-time annual salary. Keep actual hours and full-time-equivalent pay separate.

Workplace versus residence

A local earnings estimate can describe jobs located in an area or people living there. Commuting means those are different populations. Check the geography and sample limitations.

Illustrative salaries: what could reach your bank account?

These round-number salaries are examples, not average-earnings statistics. Each calculation uses 2026/27 England, Wales or Northern Ireland rates, 1257L and no student loan or other income. The pension column deducts 5% of full gross pay under a net-pay arrangement, keeping employee NI unchanged.

Illustrative annual salaries and monthly average net pay
Gross / year	Net / month, no pension	Net / month, 5% net-pay pension	Take-home cost of pension / month
£25,000.00	£1,793.30	£1,709.97	£83.33
£30,000.00	£2,093.30	£1,993.30	£100.00
£35,000.00	£2,393.30	£2,276.63	£116.67
£40,000.00	£2,693.30	£2,559.97	£133.33
£50,000.00	£3,293.30	£3,126.63	£166.67
£60,000.00	£3,779.78	£3,629.78	£150.00

Actual payroll rounding, tax codes, irregular pay and pensionable-pay bases differ. Salary sacrifice and relief-at-source pensions use different treatment. Scotland requires its devolved calculation.

Compare an offer with your actual household budget

Record the guaranteed contractual gross pay and hours. Keep a discretionary bonus or unpaid overtime separate.
Calculate take-home pay using your pension method, tax code and real loan plan. Compare employer pension and other benefits separately from bank-account cash.
Subtract actual housing, travel, local charges, food, utilities, childcare and debt commitments for each option. An above-median salary can still leave a tight budget.
If comparing a region or occupation, use the relevant published dataset and its date. Avoid treating recruitment adverts, a single offer or an illustrative preset as a representative market average.

Try your own salary

The interactive tool models salary sacrifice. The separate table above deliberately uses a net-pay pension to illustrate why the method matters.

Your Take Home Pay

£28,719.60

per year

£2,393.30

Monthly

£552.30

Weekly

£110.46

Daily

Full Breakdown

Gross Income

£35,000.00

Personal Allowance(0% tax-free)

£12,570.00

Income Tax(annual estimate)

− £4,486.00

National Insurance(Class 1 NICs)

− £1,794.40

Total Deductions

− £6,280.40

Effective Tax Rate17.9%

Estimate: 2026/27 employment income in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, using the selected tax code. Hourly pay assumes 40 hours a week for 52 weeks; daily pay assumes 260 days. Pension input models salary sacrifice. Payroll rounding, irregular pay and benefits can change actual deductions.

Sources and statistical definitions

ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings release — check the actual release and reference period; no current numerical median is reproduced here.
ONS: ASHE quality, methods and definitions.
HMRC: 2026/27 employer rates and thresholds.
GOV.UK: pension tax relief.
GOV.UK: Scottish Income Tax.

This guide explains statistical definitions and calculated pay examples. It does not reproduce an unverified latest ONS median; inspect the published release and reference period before using an earnings value.

Questions about average earnings

Keep the population, period and gross/net definitions consistent.

There is no single statistic that represents every worker or the whole 2026/27 tax year. ONS earnings publications have a particular reference period, employee population and definition. Check the dated Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings release for the measure you need. This page does not label an unverified figure or the illustrative salary table as the current national median.

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