Gross annual salary UK 2017, by education and age

In the United Kingdom, the average annual earnings of graduates was higher at almost all ages in 2017, with graduates aged 46 the highest earners overall. From the ages of 21 to 23, those with an apprenticeship were the top earners, however, from the age of 24 onwards, graduates became the top earners. Each education level, despite some fluctuations, follows the same rough trend arc of growth and decline in earnings depending on age.

Average gross annual salary in the United Kingdom in 2017, by highest level of qualification and age (in GBP)

Characteristic	Graduates	Apprenticeship	A level	GCSE A* to C
64	24,458	22,181	16,984	15,036
63	23,858	23,066	17,158	15,026
62	27,139	22,478	17,719	16,010
61	28,207	23,177	18,419	16,051
60	29,292	25,241	19,460	16,475
59	32,257	24,673	20,528	17,285
58	32,770	24,791	20,771	17,563
57	33,402	26,635	20,175	17,383
56	34,337	26,511	20,694	17,996
55	35,267	26,556	22,556	18,430
54	35,922	27,286	21,822	18,621
53	35,386	26,999	22,272	19,048
52	34,870	28,056	21,812	18,919
51	36,082	27,088	21,873	19,469
50	36,034	27,590	22,148	19,105
49	35,357	28,034	23,777	19,834
48	36,279	28,578	22,739	19,619
47	35,297	28,184	21,830	19,742
46	35,225	29,154	22,261	19,939
45	35,677	29,653	22,318	19,468
44	35,040	30,503	22,295	19,714
43	35,401	28,117	22,909	19,614
42	35,444	28,253	21,704	18,849
41	35,467	29,230	21,693	19,055
40	35,401	27,831	21,519	19,261
39	35,169	27,462	22,294	19,562
38	33,907	27,953	21,086	18,905
37	33,712	27,352	21,525	19,157
36	33,960	27,786	21,940	19,901
35	33,335	25,706	21,104	19,265
34	32,532	25,829	22,047	18,976
33	32,510	26,320	21,460	19,140
32	31,384	23,496	20,682	18,328
31	31,391	25,825	20,973	18,201
30	30,308	25,306	20,676	18,628
29	29,448	24,126	19,944	17,714
28	27,324	23,923	19,431	17,595
27	26,182	23,392	18,774	16,996
26	25,440	22,512	18,764	16,750
25	23,375	21,570	18,170	16,216
24	21,542	20,493	17,300	16,002
23	19,076	20,157	16,293	14,932
22	16,955	18,413	15,131	14,384
21	14,881	16,530	14,676	14,034