#16 · Technology

Programmers and software development professionals Salary

ONS ASHE ASHE 2025 (provisional) national median £55,587 (£26.72/hr on 2,080 hours). SOC 2134. Modeled 2026 take-home, training context, and career comparisons below.

By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026

national median · SOC 2134

£55,587

£26.72/hr · 2,080 hrs/yr

England, Wales & NI take-home

£42,798

23.0% effective

Scotland take-home at median

£41,136

26.0% effective

Key takeaways — Software developers

Programmers and software development professionals ranks #16 of 63 on this hub with a £55,587 ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) full-time employee median (£26.72/hr).
Modeled England, Wales & NI take-home at that median: £42,798 (23.0% effective employee levy rate). Scotland: £41,136.
One rank above: Aerospace engineers at £55,817 (+£230).
Bonuses, share schemes, overtime, and self-employment income are outside ASHE full-time employee cash-wage medians.

About Programmers and software development professionals wages

The Office for National Statistics ASHE 2025 (provisional) publishes full-time employee annual gross medians by Standard Occupational Classification code. For Programmers and software development professionals (SOC 2134), the national median annual pay is £55,587 — 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 Software developers against another career, or open the paycheck calculator to model an offer above or below the published median.

Technology · rank context

Software developers sits at rank #16 between Aerospace engineers (#15, £55,817) and IT managers (#17, £55,502).

Training & licensing context

Tech medians blend junior and senior engineers nationally. London total pay often exceeds ASHE cash medians because of bonuses and share schemes taxed at vest.

ASHE wage percentiles (ASHE 2025 (provisional))

ASHE percentile wages show how pay spreads inside the Software developers occupation — the median is the midpoint.

10th percentile	Median	90th percentile
£30,752	£55,587	£101,172

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	Calculator
England, Wales & NI	£42,798	23.0%	Open
Scotland	£41,136	26.0%	Open

Model £55,587 in calculator ONS ASHE source

Myths vs facts

Myth: Every Software developers 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 2134 (Programmers and software development professionals)
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