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Average Planning Assistant Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A planning assistant in United Kingdom earns about 45,600 GBP a year. That's 35% below 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 22,200 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 69,700 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 planning assistant make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
45,600 GBP
3,800 GBP per month
Lowest reported
22,200 GBP
1,850 GBP per month
Highest reported
69,700 GBP
5,808 GBP per month

A typical planning assistant working in United Kingdom brings home around 3,800 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 22,200 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 69,700 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 planning assistant 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 planning assistant salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How planning assistant 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 planning assistants in United Kingdom earn less than 42,300 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 31,200 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 51,900 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of planning assistants sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 22,200 GBP. The highest stretch to 69,700 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.

22,200
Low
42,300
Median
69,700
High
31,200
25th
51,900
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Planning assistant pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    27,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +36% from previous
    37,200 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +20% from previous
    44,500 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +23% from previous
    54,600 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +10% from previous
    59,800 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    63,800 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 36%. That is the point at which a planning assistant 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.

Planning assistant pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • High School
    30,200 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +43% from previous
    43,100 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +46% from previous
    63,100 GBP

Planning assistant 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 planning assistants in United Kingdom earn an average of 43,500 GBP a year, while female planning assistants earn around 45,400 GBP. That works out to a 4% 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.

Planning Assistant gender pay gap

4%

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

Women 45,400 GBP
Men 43,500 GBP

Pay raises for a planning assistant 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 10% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 7% 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

Planning assistant 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.

29%

29% of planning assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a planning assistant 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 1% to 3% of base salary. The remaining 71% of planning assistants 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

Planning assistant: 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

Planning assistant salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Planning assistant 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
  • Birmingham
  • Bristol
  • Edinburgh
  • Leicester
  • Leeds
  • London
  • Nottingham
  • Coventry
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion79,600 GBP74,200 GBP40,200-121,800 GBP
ScotlandRegion59,100 GBP58,400 GBP30,100-92,100 GBP
BirminghamCity51,100 GBP54,100 GBP23,500-79,500 GBP
BristolCity50,800 GBP45,800 GBP27,400-77,000 GBP
EdinburghCity50,700 GBP49,300 GBP27,400-76,900 GBP
LeicesterCity50,300 GBP52,300 GBP24,200-78,200 GBP
LeedsCity49,800 GBP49,800 GBP23,600-78,100 GBP
LondonCity49,700 GBP54,700 GBP23,400-82,300 GBP
NottinghamCity49,700 GBP49,000 GBP26,400-76,000 GBP
CoventryCity48,600 GBP51,500 GBP22,800-77,400 GBP
SheffieldCity48,600 GBP43,100 GBP26,200-72,800 GBP
LiverpoolCity48,500 GBP50,100 GBP23,800-76,900 GBP
PlymouthCity47,500 GBP47,200 GBP23,800-74,000 GBP
GlasgowCity47,400 GBP47,400 GBP22,400-73,800 GBP
CardiffCity47,400 GBP51,800 GBP23,800-74,200 GBP
SomersetCity47,100 GBP52,300 GBP24,400-77,400 GBP
BrightonCity46,400 GBP41,500 GBP25,300-68,900 GBP
WolverhamptonCity46,200 GBP52,300 GBP20,000-73,700 GBP
ManchesterCity46,000 GBP44,300 GBP23,600-68,300 GBP
SwanseaCity45,600 GBP40,600 GBP22,000-69,400 GBP
SouthamptonCity45,600 GBP45,200 GBP21,300-69,400 GBP
DundeeCity45,300 GBP42,700 GBP21,500-67,500 GBP
PeterboroughCity45,300 GBP43,100 GBP23,200-68,100 GBP
ArmaghCity45,200 GBP41,500 GBP22,400-68,500 GBP
GloucesterCity45,100 GBP38,900 GBP23,800-67,600 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity45,000 GBP46,300 GBP23,100-69,200 GBP
AberdeenCity45,000 GBP42,400 GBP22,200-65,800 GBP
CambridgeCity44,900 GBP44,300 GBP23,400-65,800 GBP
DerbyCity44,900 GBP46,700 GBP21,100-69,100 GBP
NewportCity44,700 GBP47,200 GBP19,300-71,600 GBP
BelfastCity44,700 GBP43,400 GBP22,200-68,100 GBP
ExeterCity44,300 GBP38,000 GBP23,800-64,800 GBP
NewcastleCity43,800 GBP43,500 GBP25,300-69,200 GBP
WalesRegion43,500 GBP38,000 GBP24,400-64,600 GBP
PortsmouthCity43,500 GBP45,300 GBP20,000-68,200 GBP
YorkCity43,500 GBP39,800 GBP21,500-65,200 GBP
BradfordCity43,100 GBP40,700 GBP26,200-67,300 GBP
LisburnCity42,600 GBP42,600 GBP19,300-65,500 GBP
LincolnCity42,500 GBP45,100 GBP18,600-64,200 GBP
DerryCity42,400 GBP42,000 GBP23,000-62,300 GBP
NorwichCity42,300 GBP42,600 GBP23,800-65,900 GBP
PooleCity41,900 GBP44,800 GBP18,900-64,600 GBP
OxfordCity41,500 GBP41,500 GBP23,000-65,100 GBP
WinchesterCity41,300 GBP43,500 GBP20,300-64,100 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion41,300 GBP41,300 GBP18,600-63,100 GBP
StirlingCity40,900 GBP42,500 GBP17,900-61,700 GBP
DurhamCity40,900 GBP43,500 GBP16,300-61,500 GBP
SalisburyCity40,700 GBP39,100 GBP20,700-63,900 GBP
TruroCity40,300 GBP40,300 GBP18,200-63,200 GBP
ChesterCity40,300 GBP42,600 GBP20,500-63,500 GBP
HartlepoolCity40,000 GBP36,200 GBP21,200-60,100 GBP
InvernessCity39,800 GBP41,700 GBP17,800-63,200 GBP
StrontianCity39,500 GBP33,000 GBP20,900-56,800 GBP
AbingdonCity39,500 GBP38,000 GBP16,300-60,900 GBP
RiponCity39,100 GBP36,000 GBP21,400-58,200 GBP
NewryCity38,700 GBP40,300 GBP17,800-60,800 GBP
WakefieldCity38,000 GBP40,900 GBP19,200-60,000 GBP
KirkwallCity38,000 GBP38,900 GBP20,300-61,600 GBP
CanterburyCity36,900 GBP36,900 GBP19,200-60,500 GBP
StromnessCity36,800 GBP41,300 GBP15,700-60,500 GBP
WellsCity36,700 GBP37,900 GBP19,300-59,700 GBP
BangorCity36,700 GBP40,900 GBP16,300-59,200 GBP
St DavidsCity36,400 GBP34,000 GBP19,100-55,700 GBP

Planning Assistant in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a planning assistant make per month in United Kingdom?

    A planning assistant in United Kingdom earns about 3,800 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 45,600 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a planning assistant in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level planning assistants in United Kingdom start near 22,200 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 69,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 31,200 and 51,900 GBP.

  • Is the median planning assistant salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 42,300 GBP, lower than the average of 45,600 GBP. Half of planning assistants in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for planning assistants in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a planning assistant in United Kingdom earn around 4% less than women on average (43,500 vs 45,400 GBP a year).

  • Do planning assistants in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 29% of planning assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3% of base salary.

  • Do planning assistants earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do planning assistants in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A planning assistant in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.