Official annual estimates for the whole country, mapped to the closest published occupation.
United Kingdom · gross annual earnings estimate
25th percentile
£42,289
Median
£56,914
75th percentile
£75,794
This ASHE benchmark covers full-time employee jobs, not self-employed income or part-time jobs. ASHE gross earnings include basic pay, overtime, incentive pay such as bonuses and commissions, shift premiums, and other cash pay. They are before deductions, exclude payments in kind, and are not take-home pay or the whole benefits package. Compare the benchmark with an offer on the same working-hours and annual-pay basis.
This is a country-level occupation benchmark, not a local offer estimate. Pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
National median with 25th–75th percentile band, 2011–2025.
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. Mapped to Programmers and software development professionals; the occupation is broader than the page role. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
Quick interpretation
For a UK Software Engineer, the benchmark uses the broader occupation 'Programmers and software development professionals'. That is a sensible match because the work covers creating, maintaining and improving software systems. It is still an occupation-level comparison, not a promise that every Software Engineer has the same duties or pay.
Benchmark fit
Why this benchmark applies to Engineering
The mapped occupation is useful because Software Engineers create, maintain, audit and improve software and IT systems. Titles are not standardised: employers may use programmer or developer instead. A similar title alone does not prove equivalent scope, particularly for analyst, tester, consultant or architect roles.
Overlapping responsibilities
Both the named role and the mapped occupation can involve writing and testing code, designing software, improving existing programmes and maintaining systems.
The work may also include integrating software products so that otherwise incompatible platforms work together.
What the occupation combines
The benchmark covers software work that includes requirements analysis, coding, evaluation, system maintenance and technical documentation.
Nearby titles: Depending on the employer and system, related labels can include programmer, developer, systems programmer, database programmer or web programmer..
The occupation mapping does not establish that adjacent titles have the same responsibilities, seniority or pay. Employer duties can vary.
Role scope
What Engineering work usually includes
Software Engineers turn user requirements into working software, then test, evaluate, improve and maintain the systems they build.
Responsibilities
Analyse and determine user requirements before shaping a software solution. · Research, design, write and test software, refining code when necessary. · Evaluate software and the systems that make computers and hardware function, and identify areas where existing programmes need modification. · Maintain systems by monitoring and correcting defects, including applying updates when required. · Some assignments include integrating existing products, writing technical specifications and producing operational documentation. · The role can involve working with project managers, UX designers, developers, systems analysts and commercial colleagues, and discussing software performance with clients or colleagues.
Typical outputs
The practical output is software or an IT solution that meets stated needs and can be tested, documented, maintained and improved.
Software Engineer
This title sits within a field where employers also use programmer and developer labels; the title itself does not settle the actual scope of the job.
Read the range
Three points, one pay distribution
A narrower Software Engineer role might focus on requirements, coding and testing. Another may spend more time evaluating systems, maintaining live software, integrating products or writing specifications. Those are differences in responsibility scope, not evidence of separate salary bands.
25th percentile
One quarter of employees earn below this figure.
Median
Half of employees earn below this figure and half above it; it is not the arithmetic midpoint of the displayed range.
75th percentile
One quarter of employees earn above this figure.
Location
Regional salary benchmarks
The benchmark is national. Regional medians are available as supplementary context for the listed UK regions, but they are not a local offer estimate.
Regional 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile salary estimates
Region
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
East
Not published
£60,989
Not published
East Midlands
Not published
£49,685
Not published
London
Not published
£75,296
Not published
North East
Not published
£56,340
Not published
North West
Not published
£50,336
Not published
Scotland
Not published
£48,930
Not published
South East
Not published
£52,798
Not published
South West
Not published
£53,438
Not published
Wales
Not published
£48,346
Not published
West Midlands
Not published
£49,081
Not published
Yorkshire and The Humber
Not published
£47,908
Not published
Pay can differ by location, employer, duties and working pattern, so check an offer on its own terms.
Beyond salary
Salary versus total compensation
Compare the offer by separating fixed salary from any conditional cash, then check the rules and timing for each variable element. Review pension, health cover, leave and equity separately rather than treating them as salary.
Fixed cash: confirm the annual basic salary, contracted hours and whether the quoted figure is gross.
This is the cleanest starting point for comparing two offers on the same working-hours basis.
Conditional cash: ask whether overtime, bonuses, commissions or shift premiums are available, what targets or approval rules apply, and whether payment is guaranteed.
These payments can be included in gross earnings when paid, but they should not be assumed when comparing a fixed offer.
Benefits: record the employer pension contribution, health cover, paid leave and any equity terms, including vesting or eligibility rules where relevant.
Benefits and payments in kind are separate from the benchmark's cash-pay measure, so compare their terms directly.
Offer review
How to evaluate your Engineering offer
Is the quoted figure basic salary or a wider gross-cash amount that includes overtime, bonuses, commissions or shift premiums?The benchmark's gross earnings can include those cash elements, so you need the same basis before comparing figures.
Do the contracted hours and annual-pay basis match the benchmark and the other offer?A like-for-like comparison uses the same working-hours and annual-pay basis.
Which parts of the package are conditional, and what targets, eligibility rules or payment dates apply?Variable cash should remain identifiable rather than being treated as guaranteed fixed pay.
What are the employer pension, health, leave and equity terms?Those benefits are not the same as gross cash pay, so their value depends on the specific terms offered.
Questions
Engineering salary FAQs
Source
About this salary benchmark
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. The figures cover Programmers and software development professionals (2134) and full time employee jobs. Updated 15 October 2026. This broad occupation benchmark may not match every Engineering vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Build your Engineering CV for the roles you want.
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your CV around the experience that supports your target level.
