One of the hardest parts of early job hunting is knowing whether an offer is actually fair. Job adverts are inconsistent about listing salary, and it's easy to either undersell yourself or hold out for a number that isn't realistic for your experience level. Here's what UK graduates and early-career professionals are actually earning, based on the latest ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data.

Median salary by age group

The ONS breaks down annual median pay by age band. For people at the start of their careers, the numbers look like this:

  • 18-21: £13,069 median annual pay (£12.59/hour) — this band includes a large proportion of part-time and entry-level roles.
  • 22-29: £29,855 median annual pay (£15.88/hour) — this is the most relevant band for most graduates a year or more into their career.
  • 30-39: £36,000 median annual pay (£19.70/hour) — pay accelerates meaningfully once you have several years of experience.

The jump between the 22-29 band and the 30-39 band — roughly £6,000 — reflects the fact that promotions, job moves and specialisation tend to cluster in your late twenties and early thirties. If you're a few years into your career and still near graduate-level pay, that's a signal worth acting on, whether through a negotiation or a job move.

It varies enormously by industry

Age alone doesn't tell the full story — industry matters just as much. ONS data on the highest-paying occupations shows roles like IT directors, marketing and sales directors, and specialist medical practitioners paying £90,000+ at senior level, while entry points in those same fields (junior analyst, marketing executive, graduate scheme roles) still tend to start meaningfully above the general 22-29 median. By contrast, roles in hospitality, retail and elementary administrative work often sit well under £20,000 even for full-time work.

Corporate management and professional services graduate schemes, engineering and technology roles, and financial services roles tend to offer the strongest starting salaries relative to the general graduate median. Creative industries, charity/non-profit and hospitality-adjacent roles tend to start lower, even at graduate level, and rely more on progression over time.

Regional differences hit graduates hard

Where you start your career matters almost as much as what you do. London's median full-time salary sits around 25-30% above the national figure, which sounds like an obvious win — until you weigh it against London's cost of living. A £29,855 median salary goes considerably further in the North East, Yorkshire or the Midlands than the same number does in London. If you're weighing a London graduate offer against a regional one, compare take-home pay after typical rent and travel costs, not just the headline number.

What this means for negotiating your first offers

If you're a recent graduate (within roughly 2 years of finishing university), an offer in the region of £24,000-£30,000 is broadly in line with the national picture, though this shifts significantly by sector and city. If you're several years into your career and still earning close to graduate-level pay, that's worth investigating — either through a direct conversation with your employer about progression, or by benchmarking yourself against the market before your next move.

Use our free UK Salary Calculator to see your estimated take-home pay and how your current salary compares to your region's median, and see our full UK Salary Guide for a deeper breakdown by role.

Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), October 2025 release.