Salaries · United Kingdom · Updated October 2026
What an employee really costs in the UK
A UK employer adds 15% National Insurance on earnings above £5,000 a year and at least 3% into a workplace pension. Provisional ONS medians for April 2026 put full-time pay at £28,760.80 a year for customer service occupations, £36,929.20 for personal assistants and £59,862.50 for software developers.
Example: one virtual / administrative assistant, full-time
163 hours a month, across the published wage range
Per month
- Wages1163 hrs × $20.42–$25.31/hr$3,328–$4,126
- Employer National Insurance (15%)2$416–$535
- Workplace pension (3% minimum)3$79.01–$103
Monthly total$3,823–$4,764
First year$45,879–$57,165
- Employer National Insurance is reduced by the Employment Allowance for many small employers.
- United Kingdom pay: Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Converted at 1 USD = 0.748 GBP (Bank of England, daily spot exchange rates against US Dollars (Sterling per US$1), rate for 22 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK (HMRC), Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027. Checked Oct 2026.
- The Pensions Regulator, minimum contributions under automatic enrolment. Checked Oct 2026.
Wages and total employer cost by role
Wages are the published range for full-time employees. The total adds the employer costs listed below, worked out the same way as in the calculator.
| Role | Wage per hour | Wages per year | Total cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual / administrative assistant | $20.42–$25.31 | $39,942–$49,506 | $45,879–$57,165 |
| Customer support / call center agent | $19.71–$19.81 | $38,553–$38,748 | $44,240–$44,471 |
| Bookkeeper / accounting clerk | $22.34 | $43,697 | $50,310 |
| Digital marketing specialist | $23.99 | $46,924 | $54,118 |
| Social media manager | $14.39–$31.52 | $28,147–$61,653 | $31,961–$71,498 |
| Graphic designer | $24.47 | $47,863 | $55,226 |
| Web developer | $34.93 | $68,323 | $79,334 |
| Software developer | $41.02 | $80,235 | $93,033 |
What employers pay on top of wages
The line items in our numbers, and how each one is worked out:
| Item | How it's worked out | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employer National Insurance (15%) | 15% of pay above £5,000 a year | GOV.UK (HMRC), Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027. Checked Oct 2026. |
| Workplace pension (3% minimum) | 3% of pay between £6,240 and £50,270 a year | The Pensions Regulator, minimum contributions under automatic enrolment. Checked Oct 2026. |
Other employer costs and rules
- Statutory paid holiday, weeks per year (pay reference)5.6 weeksWeeks of paid holiday a year; most workers on a 5-day week get at least 28 days. Statutory paid holiday is limited to 28 days. Source: GOV.UK, Holiday entitlement. Checked Oct 2026.
Wages by role, as published
| Role | Per hour (USD) | Per month, full-time | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual / administrative assistant | $20.42–$25.31 | $3,319–$4,113 | 2 published figures |
| Customer support / call center agent | $19.71–$19.81 | $3,203–$3,220 | 2 published figures |
| Bookkeeper / accounting clerk | $22.34 | $3,630 | 1 published figure |
| Digital marketing specialist | $23.99 | $3,898 | 1 published figure |
| Social media manager | $14.39–$31.52 | $2,339–$5,123 | 2 published figures |
| Graphic designer | $24.47 | $3,976 | 1 published figure |
| Web developer | $34.93 | $5,675 | 1 published figure |
| Software developer | $41.02 | $6,666 | 1 published figure |
Every figure behind the United Kingdom numbers
Virtual / administrative assistant
- median · local employers£36,929/year Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Median gross annual pay, full-time employee jobs (employees in the job for a year or more, includes pay affected by absence), SOC 2020 4215 Personal assistants and other secretaries
- median · local employers£29,803/year Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Median gross annual pay, full-time employee jobs (employees in the job for a year or more, includes pay affected by absence), SOC 2020 4159 Other administrative occupations n.e.c.
4215 is the closest group for personal and executive assistants; 4159 covers general admin work. ASHE has no virtual-assistant code.
Customer support / call center agent
- median · local employers£28,761/year Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Median gross annual pay, full-time employee jobs (employees in the job for a year or more, includes pay affected by absence), SOC 2020 7219 Customer service occupations n.e.c.
- median · local employers£28,912/year Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Median gross annual pay, full-time employee jobs (employees in the job for a year or more, includes pay affected by absence), SOC 2020 7211 Call and contact centre occupations
7219 covers customer service advisers in general; 7211 covers call and contact centre agents.
Bookkeeper / accounting clerk
- median · local employers£32,598/year Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Median gross annual pay, full-time employee jobs (employees in the job for a year or more, includes pay affected by absence), SOC 2020 4122 Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks
The same group also includes payroll managers and wages clerks.
Digital marketing specialist
- median · local employers£35,000/year Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Median gross annual pay, full-time employee jobs (employees in the job for a year or more, includes pay affected by absence), SOC 2020 3554 Marketing associate professionals
Marketing and commercial managers (SOC 2020 2432) are a separate, more senior group.
Social media manager
- average£30,282/year PayScale UK, 'Social Media Manager' salary page (updated Oct 5, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Average base salary from 147 self-reported salary profiles
- 10th–90th percentile£21,000–£46,000/year PayScale UK, 'Social Media Manager' salary page (updated Oct 5, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Base salary, 10th to 90th percentile (shown as £21k to £46k, median £30k), 147 self-reported salary profiles
ASHE has no separate social media occupation. The closest official group, marketing associate professionals (SOC 2020 3554), had a median of £35,000 (see marketing-specialist). Reed had no salary data for this title.
Graphic designer
- median · local employers£35,703/year Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Median gross annual pay, full-time employee jobs (employees in the job for a year or more, includes pay affected by absence), SOC 2020 2142 Graphic and multimedia designers
In SOC 2020 graphic designers moved to 2142 (they were 3421 in SOC 2010; 3421 is now interior designers).
Web developer
- median · local employers£50,963/year Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Median gross annual pay, full-time employee jobs (employees in the job for a year or more, includes pay affected by absence), SOC 2020 2141 Web design professionals
2141 is the closest SOC 2020 group for web designers and developers; for programming-heavy roles see software-developer (2134).
Software developer
- median · local employers£59,863/year Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE), Figure 5 (April 2026, provisional (released 22 Oct 2026)). Checked Oct 2026. Median gross annual pay, full-time employee jobs (employees in the job for a year or more, includes pay affected by absence), SOC 2020 2134 Programmers and software development professionals (all seniority levels)
For reference
- National Living Wage (aged 21 and over), from 1 April 2026£12.71/hourGOV.UK, National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates. Checked Oct 2026.
- National Minimum Wage, aged 18 to 20, from 1 April 2026£10.85/hourGOV.UK, National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates. Checked Oct 2026.
- National Minimum Wage, under 18 and apprentices, from 1 April 2026£8.00/hourGOV.UK, National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates. Checked Oct 2026.
- Median gross weekly earnings, full-time employees, April 2026 (provisional)£811/weekOffice for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE). Checked Oct 2026.
- Median hourly earnings excluding overtime, full-time employees, April 2026 (provisional)£20.81/hourOffice for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE). Checked Oct 2026.
- Median gross annual earnings, full-time employees in the same job for at least a year, April 2026 (provisional)£40,911/yearOffice for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 (ASHE). Checked Oct 2026.
Why an employee costs more than the salary
- Role and skill level: IT roles such as software development and web design sit well above admin and customer service roles in the ONS data.
- Location: London and the South East usually pay more than other UK regions.
- Employer costs: employer National Insurance, the workplace pension and paid holiday all add to the salary figure.
- Wage floor: the National Living Wage (£12.71 an hour from 1 April 2026) sets the minimum for entry-level roles.
FAQ
How much does it cost to hire an employee in the UK?
Median full-time pay runs from £28,760.80 a year for customer service occupations to £59,862.50 for programmers and software developers (provisional ONS figures for April 2026), and employer costs come on top. Personal assistants sit at £36,929.20 and book-keepers at £32,597.90.
What does an employer pay on top of salary in the UK?
Employer National Insurance of 15% on earnings above £5,000 a year (for 2026 to 2027, per HMRC), a pension contribution of at least 3% of qualifying earnings (The Pensions Regulator) and 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year (GOV.UK). The Employment Allowance is £10,500 (HMRC), and the 0.5% Apprenticeship Levy only applies to pay bills over £3 million. These are cost figures, not tax advice.
What is the minimum wage in the UK in 2026?
From 1 April 2026: £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over (the National Living Wage), £10.85 for ages 18 to 20, and £8 for under-18s and apprentices (GOV.UK).
How many hours is a full-time week in the UK?
37.5 hours a week: ONS data show that was the median for full-time employees in April 2025, and it's a fair basis for turning a UK salary into an hourly cost.
Run your own numbers
Compare an in-house hire in the UK with hiring abroad in the cost calculator.Know a better source? Send it to us and we'll check it.