A new interactive tool based on official data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) now allows workers in the United Kingdom to compare their salaries with others in the same profession or geographical area. The tool provides detailed salary benchmarks and insights into how individual earnings rank among peers, offering a clearer perspective on income distribution across the country.

According to the latest figures, the median annual salary for full-time workers stands at £39,039 before tax, which translates to approximately £31,628 after deductions for tax and national insurance. Among the highest-paid occupations are chief executives and senior officials, whose median salary reaches nearly £100,000, placing them in the top 5 percent of earners. Other well-paid professions include marketing, sales and advertising directors (£94,135), and specialist medical practitioners (£92,847). Headteachers and senior police officers earn median salaries of £72,192 and £66,690 respectively.

The ONS uses median salary data, which ranks all workers from lowest to highest pay and selects the middle figure to represent a typical income, reducing distortion by extreme values. These figures reflect pay as of April 2025 and include only those who have held the same job for at least one year.

At the lower end of the spectrum, teaching assistants and educational support assistants earn median annual salaries of £21,239 and £21,448 respectively. Other lower-paid roles include leisure and theme park attendants (£22,294), kitchen assistants (£22,886), waiters (£22,936), and bar staff (£23,182).

Gender disparities persist across almost all age groups, with men earning more than women on average. The largest gap is observed among workers aged 50 to 59, where men earn a median of £45,608 compared to £37,024 for women.

Regional differences in pay are also pronounced. The highest median salaries are found in the South-East and East of England. St Albans in Hertfordshire leads with a median full-time salary of £57,400, about 47 percent higher than the national median. Richmond in London follows closely at £57,233. Outside the South-East, Warwick is notable for its comparatively high median salary of £48,500.

Conversely, the lowest median earnings are identified in parts of Wales, the East Midlands, and the South-West, with Boston in Lincolnshire reporting the lowest median salary of £29,805 annually.

This tool aims to provide greater transparency in a country where discussions about individual pay rates remain relatively private, allowing users to better understand how their remuneration compares nationally and within their professional and local contexts.