Salary check · UK · 2026
Is £48,000 a good salary?
Is £48,000 a good salary in the UK?
£48,000 is a good salary in the UK. It puts you in roughly the 68th percentile — you earn more than about 68% of full-time workers, and it's £8,961 above the UK median of £39,039. Your take-home is about £3,173 a month.
Verified 12 August 2026
You earn more than about 68% of full-time workers.
What £48,000 actually means
The UK median full-time salary is £39,039 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025). At £48,000 you're earning £8,961 more than the typical full-time worker.
Your take-home pay on £48,000
| Gross salary | £48,000 |
|---|---|
| Income tax | £7,086 |
| National Insurance | £2,834 |
| Take-home (year) | £38,080 |
| Take-home (month) | £3,173 |
See the full breakdown → or adjust for pension and student loan.
Is it good for your age?
£48,000 is above the median for every age band — a strong salary at any career stage.
Is it good where you live?
Location changes everything. London's median is £47,500 and the North East's is £35,100 — so £48,000 stretches much further in some regions than others. Even against London it holds up well.