Accountants in the United Kingdom can make a good living, but it depends on personal work preferences. For accountants who want to be in a position of power, there are leadership positions like Practice Manager and Financial Controller available. Accountants with interest or experience in technology can take their career in an IT direction.
In the UK, there are a number of factors that affect the salary of an accountant. These include education, years of experience, and location.
The average salary for accountants in the UK is approximately £31,000 per year. Accountants with less than 2 years of experience can expect to earn about £25,000 per year, while those with more than 25 years’ experience can earn up to £60,000 per year. The highest-paid accountants work in London and Edinburgh.
Accountants typically receive benefits such as paid holiday time, health insurance, and retirement plans; however, these benefits vary depending on the company that employs them.
Salary for accountants in uk
A person working in Accounting and Finance in United Kingdom typically earns around 73,100 GBP per year. Salaries range from 29,600 GBP (lowest average) to 147,000 GBP (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different Accounting and Finance careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Salaries for specific jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Account Examiner | 39,500 GBP |
| Account Executive | 66,500 GBP |
| Accountant | 49,400 GBP |
| Accounting Assistant | 39,700 GBP |
| Accounting Associate | 35,900 GBP |
Accounting and Finance Jobs Salary Distribution in United Kingdom
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
- Salary RangeAccounting and Finance salaries in United Kingdom range from 29,600 GBP per year (minimum average salary) to 147,000 GBP per year (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
- Median SalaryThe median salary is 70,200 GBP per year, which means that half (50%) of people working in Accounting and Finance are earning less than 70,200 GBP while the other half are earning more than 70,200 GBP. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
- PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of people working in Accounting and Finance are earning less than 44,900 GBP while 75% of them are earning more than 44,900 GBP. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Accounting and Finance are earning less than 104,000 GBP while 25% are earning more than 104,000 GBP.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does a person’s salary progress over time?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.
Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.
Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.
As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.
Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.
Salary Comparison By Education
It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.
Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.
Employees who earned a Bachelor’s Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.
Professionals who attained a Master’s Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor’s Degree.
Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master’s Degree holders on average while doing the same job.
