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Average Database Developer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A database developer in United Kingdom earns about 68,200 GBP a year. That's 2% roughly in line with the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 35,300 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 109,700 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a database developer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
68,200 GBP
5,683 GBP per month
Lowest reported
35,300 GBP
2,941 GBP per month
Highest reported
109,700 GBP
9,141 GBP per month

A typical database developer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,683 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 35,300 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 109,700 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior database developer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the database developer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How database developer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all database developers in United Kingdom earn less than 71,800 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 48,600 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 92,300 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of database developers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 35,300 GBP. The highest stretch to 109,700 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

35,300
Low
71,800
Median
109,700
High
48,600
25th
92,300
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Database developer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a database developer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical database developer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    42,000 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +28% from previous
    53,600 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +32% from previous
    70,600 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +27% from previous
    90,000 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +6% from previous
    95,400 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    103,600 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 32%. That is the point at which a database developer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Database developer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving database developer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average database developer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    53,600 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +33% from previous
    71,100 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +51% from previous
    107,700 GBP

Database developer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male database developers in United Kingdom earn an average of 71,600 GBP a year, while female database developers earn around 69,700 GBP. That works out to a 3% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Database Developer gender pay gap

3%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 71,600 GBP
Women 69,700 GBP

Pay raises for a database developer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 9% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Database developer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

33%

33% of database developers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a database developer a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 67% of database developers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Database developer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Database developer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Database developer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Manchester
  • Somerset
  • London
  • Bristol
  • Glasgow
  • Liverpool
  • Sheffield
  • Birmingham
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion134,700 GBP138,700 GBP65,800-209,700 GBP
ScotlandRegion100,700 GBP93,600 GBP51,900-152,900 GBP
ManchesterCity85,500 GBP85,500 GBP43,200-128,400 GBP
SomersetCity83,800 GBP79,600 GBP43,500-127,600 GBP
LondonCity83,700 GBP91,600 GBP39,800-134,700 GBP
BristolCity82,300 GBP81,300 GBP38,000-128,200 GBP
GlasgowCity80,800 GBP83,400 GBP36,500-123,800 GBP
LiverpoolCity80,500 GBP79,600 GBP43,200-128,200 GBP
SheffieldCity79,500 GBP84,600 GBP40,300-127,700 GBP
BirminghamCity78,700 GBP87,300 GBP34,800-127,700 GBP
LeicesterCity78,500 GBP74,100 GBP40,300-118,900 GBP
LeedsCity78,400 GBP81,700 GBP36,900-125,400 GBP
PlymouthCity78,200 GBP83,800 GBP36,800-124,500 GBP
CoventryCity77,000 GBP78,700 GBP37,200-118,900 GBP
SouthamptonCity76,800 GBP73,700 GBP39,500-114,300 GBP
BradfordCity76,600 GBP76,600 GBP39,400-117,100 GBP
DundeeCity76,000 GBP76,800 GBP37,100-115,600 GBP
NottinghamCity75,900 GBP70,600 GBP42,000-114,300 GBP
EdinburghCity74,900 GBP73,100 GBP39,500-114,300 GBP
AberdeenCity74,700 GBP70,900 GBP40,200-116,400 GBP
CardiffCity74,600 GBP71,900 GBP37,800-114,300 GBP
BrightonCity74,600 GBP70,800 GBP42,000-114,900 GBP
WolverhamptonCity74,600 GBP79,800 GBP33,600-119,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity74,100 GBP69,800 GBP39,100-114,900 GBP
PooleCity74,100 GBP74,100 GBP36,900-116,400 GBP
SwanseaCity74,100 GBP70,000 GBP41,700-114,600 GBP
BelfastCity73,800 GBP75,900 GBP37,300-115,600 GBP
DerbyCity73,800 GBP72,000 GBP36,900-116,400 GBP
OxfordCity73,500 GBP77,400 GBP33,800-114,900 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity73,500 GBP68,800 GBP38,000-112,700 GBP
NewcastleCity72,700 GBP66,200 GBP40,300-111,700 GBP
LincolnCity72,400 GBP74,600 GBP32,600-112,700 GBP
CambridgeCity72,400 GBP66,100 GBP36,400-109,000 GBP
ExeterCity72,400 GBP72,400 GBP36,600-108,200 GBP
YorkCity72,300 GBP72,300 GBP36,800-116,400 GBP
PortsmouthCity71,800 GBP78,200 GBP33,600-114,600 GBP
GloucesterCity71,800 GBP65,400 GBP36,800-109,000 GBP
ChesterCity71,000 GBP69,400 GBP37,300-109,000 GBP
NewryCity69,600 GBP66,200 GBP37,100-109,000 GBP
HartlepoolCity69,400 GBP71,400 GBP33,000-108,200 GBP
NorwichCity68,900 GBP68,200 GBP31,700-107,700 GBP
TruroCity68,900 GBP68,200 GBP30,300-105,800 GBP
DerryCity68,900 GBP64,800 GBP36,400-105,200 GBP
StirlingCity68,800 GBP66,100 GBP37,200-107,700 GBP
NewportCity68,200 GBP75,500 GBP33,200-108,200 GBP
ArmaghCity68,200 GBP66,000 GBP39,500-105,800 GBP
LisburnCity67,500 GBP68,300 GBP32,600-107,300 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion67,400 GBP70,800 GBP31,400-105,200 GBP
WalesRegion66,900 GBP62,600 GBP36,500-99,700 GBP
BangorCity66,900 GBP70,000 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
DurhamCity66,900 GBP69,800 GBP30,100-105,800 GBP
AbingdonCity66,900 GBP68,500 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
CanterburyCity65,700 GBP71,700 GBP30,700-107,300 GBP
SalisburyCity65,100 GBP62,100 GBP37,200-97,300 GBP
StrontianCity64,900 GBP64,900 GBP30,700-99,700 GBP
WakefieldCity64,800 GBP60,800 GBP34,000-97,300 GBP
InvernessCity64,600 GBP63,100 GBP35,500-97,600 GBP
StromnessCity64,600 GBP71,200 GBP29,200-102,700 GBP
KirkwallCity63,900 GBP67,900 GBP31,200-99,700 GBP
WinchesterCity63,500 GBP64,300 GBP33,300-99,700 GBP
St DavidsCity63,200 GBP63,200 GBP29,100-95,100 GBP
WellsCity62,500 GBP63,400 GBP29,300-96,500 GBP
RiponCity61,500 GBP61,500 GBP29,600-97,400 GBP

Database Developer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a database developer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A database developer in United Kingdom earns about 5,683 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 68,200 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a database developer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level database developers in United Kingdom start near 35,300 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 109,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 48,600 and 92,300 GBP.

  • Is the median database developer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 71,800 GBP, higher than the average of 68,200 GBP. Half of database developers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for database developers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a database developer in United Kingdom earn around 3% more than women on average (71,600 vs 69,700 GBP a year).

  • Do database developers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 33% of database developers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do database developers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a database developer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do database developers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A database developer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.