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Average Programme Assistant Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A programme 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 22,100 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 72,800 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 programme assistant make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
45,600 GBP
3,800 GBP per month
Lowest reported
22,100 GBP
1,841 GBP per month
Highest reported
72,800 GBP
6,066 GBP per month

A typical programme assistant working in United Kingdom brings home around 3,800 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 22,100 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 72,800 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 programme 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 programme assistant salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How programme 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 programme assistants in United Kingdom earn less than 48,600 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 32,900 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 62,100 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of programme assistants sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 22,100 GBP. The highest stretch to 72,800 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.

22,100
Low
48,600
Median
72,800
High
32,900
25th
62,100
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Programme assistant pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    27,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +29% from previous
    35,300 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +28% from previous
    45,300 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +32% from previous
    59,800 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +3% from previous
    61,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    66,400 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 5 - 10 Years to 10 - 15 Years, where pay rises by about 32%. That is the point at which a programme 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.

Programme assistant pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • High School
    35,300 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +37% from previous
    48,500 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +35% from previous
    65,700 GBP

Programme 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 programme assistants in United Kingdom earn an average of 48,200 GBP a year, while female programme assistants earn around 44,700 GBP. That works out to a 8% 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.

Programme Assistant gender pay gap

7%

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

Men 48,200 GBP
Women 44,700 GBP

Pay raises for a programme 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

Programme 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.

32%

32% of programme assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a programme 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 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 68% of programme 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

Programme 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

Programme assistant salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Programme 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
  • Glasgow
  • London
  • Somerset
  • Leeds
  • Bristol
  • Liverpool
  • Leicester
  • Birmingham
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion84,800 GBP88,000 GBP43,500-134,700 GBP
ScotlandRegion62,600 GBP58,700 GBP33,500-98,100 GBP
GlasgowCity53,600 GBP52,800 GBP23,600-83,700 GBP
LondonCity53,600 GBP58,700 GBP24,800-85,400 GBP
SomersetCity52,600 GBP49,100 GBP24,800-78,700 GBP
LeedsCity52,300 GBP57,000 GBP27,400-86,400 GBP
BristolCity51,800 GBP51,500 GBP23,600-80,700 GBP
LiverpoolCity51,800 GBP53,300 GBP27,300-80,300 GBP
LeicesterCity51,300 GBP48,300 GBP26,500-78,500 GBP
BirminghamCity51,100 GBP55,300 GBP24,200-83,800 GBP
WolverhamptonCity50,800 GBP54,600 GBP23,700-79,800 GBP
NewcastleCity50,800 GBP46,300 GBP27,300-73,800 GBP
ManchesterCity50,100 GBP50,100 GBP27,400-79,800 GBP
CoventryCity50,000 GBP52,600 GBP21,300-75,900 GBP
BradfordCity49,700 GBP49,700 GBP23,600-78,500 GBP
SheffieldCity49,400 GBP51,500 GBP22,400-76,000 GBP
BrightonCity49,400 GBP45,000 GBP27,800-74,100 GBP
EdinburghCity49,300 GBP47,400 GBP26,900-78,100 GBP
NottinghamCity49,300 GBP46,100 GBP27,800-73,300 GBP
SwanseaCity48,000 GBP43,100 GBP27,300-71,900 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity47,500 GBP43,500 GBP22,800-71,000 GBP
LincolnCity47,500 GBP50,800 GBP20,100-71,700 GBP
AberdeenCity47,100 GBP45,000 GBP27,400-70,500 GBP
YorkCity46,700 GBP46,700 GBP25,300-73,500 GBP
SouthamptonCity46,300 GBP44,300 GBP22,400-69,400 GBP
DerbyCity46,200 GBP46,400 GBP23,300-71,400 GBP
DundeeCity46,100 GBP45,300 GBP23,700-71,400 GBP
BelfastCity45,800 GBP49,400 GBP22,200-73,100 GBP
NewportCity45,600 GBP49,700 GBP20,100-77,000 GBP
PortsmouthCity45,600 GBP50,500 GBP23,000-71,200 GBP
OxfordCity45,600 GBP49,000 GBP23,200-73,100 GBP
CardiffCity45,600 GBP47,500 GBP25,300-74,100 GBP
PlymouthCity45,300 GBP51,500 GBP23,400-74,100 GBP
CambridgeCity45,200 GBP42,600 GBP22,200-67,400 GBP
WalesRegion44,900 GBP41,300 GBP23,400-65,900 GBP
WinchesterCity44,500 GBP42,800 GBP20,400-66,400 GBP
PeterboroughCity44,500 GBP43,800 GBP23,300-68,500 GBP
PooleCity43,800 GBP45,100 GBP23,800-67,800 GBP
ArmaghCity43,100 GBP40,700 GBP25,300-67,300 GBP
NorwichCity43,100 GBP45,600 GBP23,200-68,300 GBP
GloucesterCity42,700 GBP40,500 GBP21,300-64,500 GBP
DerryCity42,700 GBP40,300 GBP22,100-66,000 GBP
HartlepoolCity42,600 GBP40,600 GBP22,000-66,000 GBP
WellsCity42,500 GBP43,800 GBP19,100-67,600 GBP
ExeterCity42,300 GBP42,300 GBP21,100-67,400 GBP
StirlingCity42,300 GBP40,600 GBP20,700-65,800 GBP
NewryCity41,400 GBP41,100 GBP22,300-65,200 GBP
AbingdonCity41,400 GBP45,600 GBP20,400-66,700 GBP
InvernessCity41,000 GBP39,300 GBP20,000-62,600 GBP
ChesterCity40,600 GBP39,000 GBP20,100-64,800 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion40,200 GBP41,500 GBP20,400-64,600 GBP
TruroCity39,800 GBP39,500 GBP20,200-62,100 GBP
St DavidsCity39,800 GBP39,800 GBP21,200-64,300 GBP
RiponCity39,800 GBP39,800 GBP20,400-62,600 GBP
DurhamCity39,700 GBP43,800 GBP20,300-66,900 GBP
CanterburyCity39,700 GBP42,800 GBP19,100-66,000 GBP
StromnessCity39,600 GBP42,700 GBP19,200-61,700 GBP
SalisburyCity39,500 GBP36,700 GBP20,700-62,500 GBP
WakefieldCity39,500 GBP40,500 GBP23,000-63,100 GBP
LisburnCity38,900 GBP41,500 GBP19,400-65,500 GBP
BangorCity38,000 GBP39,700 GBP16,300-59,800 GBP
KirkwallCity38,000 GBP41,500 GBP20,300-64,300 GBP
StrontianCity37,800 GBP37,800 GBP18,900-58,800 GBP

Programme Assistant in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A programme 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 programme assistant in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level programme assistants in United Kingdom start near 22,100 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 72,800 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 32,900 and 62,100 GBP.

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

    The median is 48,600 GBP, higher than the average of 45,600 GBP. Half of programme assistants in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a programme assistant in United Kingdom earn around 8% more than women on average (48,200 vs 44,700 GBP a year).

  • Do programme assistants in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 32% of programme assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

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

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

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

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