Skip to content
worldsalaries .com

Average Freelance Fashion Stylist Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A freelance fashion stylist in United Kingdom earns about 102,700 GBP a year. That's 47% above 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 49,000 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 163,800 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 freelance fashion stylist make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
102,700 GBP
8,558 GBP per month
Lowest reported
49,000 GBP
4,083 GBP per month
Highest reported
163,800 GBP
13,650 GBP per month

A typical freelance fashion stylist working in United Kingdom brings home around 8,558 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 49,000 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 163,800 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 freelance fashion stylist 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 freelance fashion stylist salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How freelance fashion stylist 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 freelance fashion stylists in United Kingdom earn less than 112,700 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 73,100 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 150,100 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of freelance fashion stylists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 49,000 GBP. The highest stretch to 163,800 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.

49,000
Low
112,700
Median
163,800
High
73,100
25th
150,100
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Freelance fashion stylist pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a freelance fashion stylist 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 freelance fashion stylist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    52,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +40% from previous
    73,200 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +47% from previous
    107,700 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +19% from previous
    128,400 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    140,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    152,900 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 47%. That is the point at which a freelance fashion stylist 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.

Freelance fashion stylist pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving freelance fashion stylist 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 freelance fashion stylist salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    61,200 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +99% from previous
    121,800 GBP

Freelance fashion stylist 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 freelance fashion stylists in United Kingdom earn an average of 100,700 GBP a year, while female freelance fashion stylists earn around 107,300 GBP. That works out to a 6% gap in favour of women, 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.

Freelance Fashion Stylist gender pay gap

6%

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

Women 107,300 GBP
Men 100,700 GBP

Pay raises for a freelance fashion stylist 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 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% 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

Freelance fashion stylist 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.

37%

37% of freelance fashion stylists in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a freelance fashion stylist 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 63% of freelance fashion stylists 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

Freelance fashion stylist: 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

Freelance fashion stylist salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Freelance fashion stylist 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
  • Sheffield
  • Glasgow
  • Somerset
  • London
  • Kingston upon Hull
  • Edinburgh
  • Coventry
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion205,700 GBP218,100 GBP95,300-325,800 GBP
ScotlandRegion157,600 GBP151,800 GBP79,500-238,300 GBP
ManchesterCity128,200 GBP121,800 GBP64,400-193,400 GBP
SheffieldCity127,700 GBP137,100 GBP57,400-200,600 GBP
GlasgowCity127,600 GBP128,400 GBP61,700-199,700 GBP
SomersetCity124,500 GBP123,800 GBP62,100-192,600 GBP
LondonCity123,800 GBP134,700 GBP58,700-199,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity119,700 GBP116,400 GBP61,500-183,600 GBP
EdinburghCity119,700 GBP116,400 GBP61,500-183,600 GBP
CoventryCity118,900 GBP116,400 GBP61,700-184,700 GBP
LeicesterCity118,900 GBP130,500 GBP55,700-187,500 GBP
BirminghamCity118,900 GBP130,500 GBP54,100-191,500 GBP
LiverpoolCity118,900 GBP121,800 GBP59,000-184,700 GBP
LeedsCity118,900 GBP121,800 GBP58,200-187,500 GBP
BristolCity117,100 GBP127,600 GBP55,700-189,800 GBP
BrightonCity117,100 GBP121,800 GBP57,400-184,700 GBP
AberdeenCity116,400 GBP115,600 GBP55,200-177,200 GBP
CardiffCity116,400 GBP117,100 GBP57,100-180,500 GBP
PortsmouthCity116,400 GBP125,400 GBP51,100-184,700 GBP
BradfordCity115,600 GBP114,600 GBP62,500-180,500 GBP
BelfastCity114,900 GBP125,400 GBP51,900-183,900 GBP
PeterboroughCity114,600 GBP123,000 GBP51,400-180,500 GBP
NewcastleCity114,600 GBP114,300 GBP54,900-175,100 GBP
LincolnCity111,700 GBP107,700 GBP58,700-169,700 GBP
NottinghamCity111,700 GBP107,700 GBP58,500-169,700 GBP
NewportCity109,700 GBP115,600 GBP51,500-172,100 GBP
PlymouthCity109,700 GBP105,800 GBP58,600-166,600 GBP
WolverhamptonCity109,700 GBP115,600 GBP51,500-172,100 GBP
YorkCity109,700 GBP105,800 GBP56,800-167,100 GBP
DerbyCity109,700 GBP111,700 GBP52,300-169,700 GBP
ExeterCity109,000 GBP105,200 GBP57,000-163,800 GBP
NorwichCity109,000 GBP114,300 GBP49,200-171,300 GBP
OxfordCity109,000 GBP108,200 GBP51,100-167,100 GBP
SouthamptonCity108,200 GBP105,800 GBP57,200-167,100 GBP
SwanseaCity108,200 GBP112,700 GBP53,500-171,300 GBP
StirlingCity107,700 GBP109,700 GBP51,900-166,600 GBP
PooleCity107,700 GBP109,700 GBP51,500-165,900 GBP
DerryCity107,300 GBP103,600 GBP54,700-164,100 GBP
CambridgeCity105,800 GBP100,700 GBP55,700-160,600 GBP
ArmaghCity105,200 GBP107,300 GBP51,100-161,300 GBP
DundeeCity105,200 GBP114,600 GBP47,400-165,900 GBP
WinchesterCity103,600 GBP105,200 GBP48,300-158,900 GBP
CanterburyCity103,600 GBP105,200 GBP50,700-160,700 GBP
HartlepoolCity103,600 GBP108,200 GBP46,200-161,300 GBP
NewryCity102,700 GBP112,700 GBP49,000-163,800 GBP
BangorCity100,500 GBP94,400 GBP53,300-153,800 GBP
TruroCity100,200 GBP100,700 GBP49,400-152,700 GBP
SalisburyCity99,700 GBP103,600 GBP49,400-157,600 GBP
GloucesterCity99,700 GBP103,600 GBP49,300-156,200 GBP
ChesterCity98,900 GBP107,700 GBP45,400-158,900 GBP
WalesRegion98,700 GBP99,700 GBP46,700-152,900 GBP
WakefieldCity97,600 GBP105,200 GBP45,600-152,900 GBP
St DavidsCity97,400 GBP93,900 GBP51,800-151,800 GBP
DurhamCity97,300 GBP107,700 GBP43,800-156,200 GBP
KirkwallCity96,600 GBP92,100 GBP49,700-148,300 GBP
LisburnCity96,500 GBP100,200 GBP45,800-151,800 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion96,000 GBP97,400 GBP47,500-146,900 GBP
InvernessCity95,500 GBP102,700 GBP45,300-153,800 GBP
AbingdonCity94,300 GBP93,100 GBP51,500-148,300 GBP
StromnessCity94,100 GBP101,100 GBP43,500-148,300 GBP
StrontianCity93,100 GBP91,900 GBP49,300-146,700 GBP
WellsCity92,200 GBP90,900 GBP46,900-142,300 GBP
RiponCity91,700 GBP88,300 GBP50,000-142,300 GBP

Freelance Fashion Stylist in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a freelance fashion stylist make per month in United Kingdom?

    A freelance fashion stylist in United Kingdom earns about 8,558 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 102,700 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a freelance fashion stylist in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level freelance fashion stylists in United Kingdom start near 49,000 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 163,800 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 73,100 and 150,100 GBP.

  • Is the median freelance fashion stylist salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 112,700 GBP, higher than the average of 102,700 GBP. Half of freelance fashion stylists in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for freelance fashion stylists in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a freelance fashion stylist in United Kingdom earn around 6% less than women on average (100,700 vs 107,300 GBP a year).

  • Do freelance fashion stylists in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 37% of freelance fashion stylists in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do freelance fashion stylists earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do freelance fashion stylists in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A freelance fashion stylist in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.