national median · SOC 2411
£34,253
£16.47/hr · 2,080 hrs/yr
#53 · Legal
Barristers and judges Salary
ONS ASHE ASHE 2025 (provisional) national median £34,253 (£16.47/hr on 2,080 hours). SOC 2411. Modeled 2026 take-home, training context, and career comparisons below.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
England, Wales & NI take-home
£28,182
17.7% effective
Scotland take-home at median
£28,174
17.8% effective
Key takeaways — Barristers & judges
- Barristers and judges ranks #53 of 63 on this hub with a £34,253 ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) full-time employee median (£16.47/hr).
- Modeled England, Wales & NI take-home at that median: £28,182 (17.7% effective employee levy rate). Scotland: £28,174.
- One rank above: Welders at £34,742 (+£489).
- Bonuses, share schemes, overtime, and self-employment income are outside ASHE full-time employee cash-wage medians.
About Barristers and judges wages
The Office for National Statistics ASHE 2025 (provisional) publishes full-time employee annual gross medians by Standard Occupational Classification code. For Barristers and judges (SOC 2411), the national median annual pay is £34,253 — meaning half of full-time PAYE employees in this occupation earn more and half earn less across the UK.
We convert that median to an hourly equivalent using 2,080 full-time hours per year, then apply our 2026 UK paycheck model so you see modeled take-home, not just gross. That bridges labour-market statistics with the same tax rules as our UK calculator.
Use the compare tool to pit Barristers & judges against another career, or open the paycheck calculator to model an offer above or below the published median.
Legal · rank context
Barristers & judges sits at rank #53 between Welders (#52, £34,742) and Other psychologists (#54, £34,250).
Training & licensing context
Barristers and solicitors typically need a law degree plus a professional qualification pathway (Bar Course or SQE; older LPC/BPTC routes still appear on CVs). The ASHE median spans chambers, Legal Aid, and in-house counsel — pay spreads widely inside the SOC.
Take-home at ASHE median by nation
Single taxpayer, personal allowance, income tax + employee National Insurance — gross equals the published ASHE median. Scotland uses Scottish income tax bands.
| Nation | Take-home | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales & NI | £28,182 | 17.7% |
| Scotland | £28,174 | 17.8% |
Myths vs facts
Myth: Every Barristers & judges job pays the ASHE median.
Fact: The median is a national midpoint for full-time employees. Entry roles, part-time schedules, and lower-COL markets sit below; senior specialists in high-demand cities sit above.
Myth: Take-home at median is what you will net.
Fact: Our columns use a single-taxpayer vignette at the ASHE gross median. Tax code, pension, student loan, and Scotland vs England/Wales/NI bands change your actual paycheck.
Salary planning checklist
- Confirm the posting matches SOC 2411 (Barristers and judges)
- Compare England, Wales & NI vs Scotland take-home if relocation is on the table
- Read ASHE percentile tables when published for this occupation
- Use metro paycheck examples (UK) when the employer names a city
- Model your exact gross in the UK paycheck calculator
Common mistakes
- ✕Treating £34,253 as a universal offer for all experience levels
- ✕Ignoring licensing and training years when comparing to lower-medians with shorter paths
- ✕Skipping Scottish income tax when comparing two offers at similar gross medians
Compare Barristers & judges to other careers
Barristers & judges salary FAQs
ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) lists a £34,253 full-time employee national median (SOC 2411) — about £16.47/hr on a 2,080-hour year.
Modeled take-home for a single taxpayer at the ASHE median: England, Wales & NI £28,182, Scotland £28,174 (2026 rules).
#53 of 63 occupations on this hub by national median wage.
Welding trades ranks #52 at £34,742 — £489 above Barristers & judges.
Other psychologists ranks #54 at £34,250 — £3 below.
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